Social media rallied to support an abandoned puppy in need of a life-saving surgery. Regina Waldroup reports.
Officials at a suburban humane society are crediting social media with helping to save the life of an abandoned puppy found in a milk crate in Chicago Heights last week.
A 3-month-old hound mix was brought to the South Suburban Humane Society weighing only 9 pounds after someone found him abandoned and left in a milk crate.
“I took one look at him and sank to my knees,” said CEO of the South Suburban Humane Society Emily Klehm. “We took one look at him and knew he was in severe danger. This condition doesn’t happen overnight, this is months of neglect and abuse.”
Barely strong enough to walk, the young pup, who the humane society named Phoenix, was rushed to a nearby animal hospital where he underwent a risky but necessary surgery to remove a mass in his intestines.
“If he didn’t have the surgery, he’d die,” Klehm said.
Klehm created the hashtag #LoveForPhoenix to send positive energy his way and in a matter of days, he went from being no one’s puppy, to everyone’s puppy, with thousands offering messages of support and donations.
“People saw his pic and immediately fell in love with him,” Klem said. “Our Facebook page had over 100,000 people engaged with it.”
Klehm says that while Phoenix still has a long way to go, the support from social media has been a tremendous help.
“He had a miraculous recovery, there’s no other way to explain it,” she said. “I really do believe it was the wave of love that people started sending his way. There are hundreds of Phoenix’s unfortunately all across the city that are in need.”
While many have offered to adopt the adorable orphaned pup, Klehm said only a foster can adopt him and he has to stay in the area.
If you are interested in fostering to adopt him, you can send an email to emily@southsuburbanhumane.org.
