In a heart-wrenching turn of events on September 22, GWARP received a distress call that led them to an elderly dog in critical condition, chained up without access to food or water. This case, even for the seasoned animal rescue organization, presented an entirely new level of heartbreaking circumstances.

The dog in question appeared to be suffering from bone cancer, a condition that had gone untreated for a shockingly long time. For years, this poor dog had endured life on a short chain, surviving on a diet of meager scraps and leftovers that lacked essential nutrients and vitamins.

This unfortunate diet had led to the development of osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer typically attributed to severe injury or infection, resulting in the formation of tumors.

Tragically, this horrifying revelation aligned with what the person who reported the situation had witnessed – the dog subjected to brutal mistreatment by its intoxicated owner.

The dog had been kept chained up and hidden away in the yard for an extended period, and the metal chain was so short that the poor dog could barely move more than two feet.

The GWARP rescue team’s efforts to save the dog faced resistance from the owner, who believed that he had every right to treat the dog as his property. In response, the team sought assistance from local law enforcement.

During this time, the dog appeared visibly distressed, and it took considerable effort to convince the owner to release the suffering animal. He only relented after being presented with the necessary documentation and the conditions that would hold him accountable for his actions.

It was evident that the dog required urgent medical attention, including thorough examinations and blood tests. What’s more, the young dog urgently needed an amputation, and tissue samples were sent for histological analysis.

The path to recovery was expected to be arduous, for both the dog and the dedicated rescue team. X-rays would confirm the presence of osteosarcoma, a severe form of bone cancer.

The faint silver lining in this dark cloud was that there were no metastases in the dog’s lungs, offering a glimmer of hope for his survival. Sadly, the tumor was growing at an alarming rate, causing the skin to tear as it relentlessly expanded with each passing day.