On a freezing Winter night, a couple saw a cardboard box by the side of the road near a dumpster in their neighborhood. They decided to check out the mysterious box and quickly found a puppy lying inside. He looked like he was dead, but he wasn’t. This is Francis’ story:
When he was found, Francis was cold and very still and thought to be dead. Luckily, the couple noticed that the pup seemed to be breathing…
Francis was brought to the local no-kill animal shelter, Community Animal Rescue & Adoption, Inc. (CARA) which is a no-kill animal rescue in Jackson, Mississippi. A visit to the vet confirmed that, while the pup was alive, he was trapped in a deep coma.
Though he was non-responsive, the people at CARA did everything they could to bring him back to health. He was kept warm and comfortable. And, on Valentine’s Day, a party was held in his honor.
Francis got many visitors. Big visitors…
…small ones…
… and even furry ones!
Many left Francis with Valentine’s cards full of kind words and well wishes.
With all this love, Francis began to take notice… and soon his eyes were opened.
When he woke up he went home with some of the wonderful people at CARA to get 24-hour care. He needed a feeding tube for two months and he had difficulty standing up. But he received physical therapy from a wonderful human and soon he went from opening his eyes and raising his head to standing on his own.
… to standing on his own…
… to walking!
Here is a video of baby Francis learning how to walk:
SURPRISE !!!!! Here I am !!!! Look at me walking on a leash. It helps me to walk in a straight line. Because of my vision problems, I like to walk in circles, so Kim is teaching me to learn to walk straight. The Vet that did the evaluation said vision is the last thing to improve…I think I am doing well walking. If I fall down, I can get up all by myself….it is just a slow recovery, just like a person who has had a head injury..so many things to relearn. My regular Vet was overjoyed about my walking, and took off the wrap on my feeding tube, but still have the tube in…thanks for all of you checking in on me….Oh, the puppy diapers…Kim's idea, haha, but I can't curl my cute tail with them on. Darn, I like my cute tail, don't you? Hope you all have a good weekend…puppy kisses to all….
Posted by Community Animal Rescue & Adoption – CARA on Friday, March 11, 2011
Grrr!
This pup was a fighter.
More parties…
… fashion shows…
… play…
… rest…
… and PT work…
… and see how far we have come!
Did you think I could do it?
Looking better than ever!
Francis is now a happy, healthy (adult) puppy.
Making friends!
Enjoying his first Christmas.
His owner Harriet Scott says, “We were lucky enough to be chosen to adopt this special dog that had become such a celebrity. But to us, he is just Francis, a sweet, loving dog with lots of energy that loves to run and play outside, nap on the sofa, and live the life we would hope all homeless animals could find. Our family would not be complete without him; he has so much love for people because it’s the love of people that saved him.”
If you are inspired by this story, reach out! Donate your time or money at a local animal shelter, spay and neuter your pets, and keep an eye out for cardboard boxes that may at first look empty…
You can read more about the work CARA does at their website and Facebook page.
Please share this story and inspire others to help animals in need and to take one extra second to check out boxes that might seem empty at first. You never know when there’s a beautiful puppy around who needs your help.
