Dog Who Was Injured Finds The Perfect Friend To Help Him Heal
āWhen they first met, they just looked at each other like they knew exactly what the other had gone through.ā
Just before Christmas last year, Sue Naiden got an unimaginable call.
A man had reportedly hung a young golden retriever by his neck with a rope and threw acid onto his back. The dog miraculously survived the attack, and Trio Animal Foundation was contacted after the man dropped him off at someoneās house and never returned.
āThe family was too afraid to go on the record about him to the police,ā Naiden, president of Trio Animal Foundation, told The Dodo. āWe offered a $5,000 reward if someone would come forward with more information so we could catch this guy. They never did.ā
The dog, whom rescuers named Charlie, was in horrifying shape. He had been living with the acid burn wounds for days before he got any medical help. The painful burns covered most of his back and shoulders.
The rescue arranged immediate medical care at Delavan Lakes Vet Clinic in Wisconsin, which specializes in treating burns. Although Charlie didnāt require any skin grafts, he had to undergo a few procedures to remove any dead tissue to encourage new skin growth.
He was also treated with special burn creams and medicated baths, and was frequently wrapped in bandages to protect the sensitive skin as it healed. Although he was starting to feel better, it was easy to tell that he couldnāt forget what had happened to him.
āHe was very, very wary of us putting a leash on him because he had been hung,ā Naiden said. āSince had such sensitive wounds on his back, we couldnāt put him in a harness. We went super slow with him and he just flourished.ā
After two weeks of intensive care at the veterinary hospital, Charlie returned to the rescue in Chicago. There, he met the rescueās resident therapy dog, Hazel Grace.
Like Charlie, Hazel Grace was also a burn victim. Before being rescued from the streets of Chicago, she had been set on fire by a group of kids ā leaving her entire stomach and back covered in burns. She needed skin grafts and was hospitalized for seven weeks. Naiden adopted her in the process.
āWhen they first met, they just looked at each other like they knew exactly what the other had gone through,ā Naiden said. āThey sniffed each otherās burn areas, and when they started playing, were very careful of the otherās sensitive skin.ā
Instead of being a therapy dog for people, Hazel Graceās main job is to provide emotional support to other dogs. But her relationship with Charlie was extra special, Naiden said.
āThey bonded instantly ā and it seemed like Charlie looked up to her a lot even though he was bigger,ā Naiden said. āLike his case, the people who did this to her were never formally charged. Everything has been on hold for at least three years now.ā
Since Charlie is only about 2 or 3 years old, he has a ton of energy. When he wasnāt hanging out or playing with Hazel Grace, he was with other dogs in the rescueās playgroup.
As the weeks went on, Charlieās burn scars kept healing and he wore a sweater or T-shirt while playing to avoid getting scratched. By late January, the perfect family decided to bring him home.
āWhen I first heard his story, I just felt this overwhelming urge to go see him,ā Karen Lagioia, Charlieās new mom, told The Dodo. āWe werenāt really looking for another dog ā but as soon as we met him, my husband just looks at me and goes, āSo weāre bringing him home, right?āā
Lagioiaās children, a teenage boy and girl, fell in love with him instantly, too. Since the rescue had preapproved them before their meeting, the family was able to welcome him home that day.
Although Charlieās skin is healed now, his scars will require special care for life. In the summer, heāll have to wear sunscreen, and will always have to wear a shirt when playing with other dogs to avoid getting scratched. But it doesnāt faze him at all.
āAny concern with his special needs being too hard or too time-consuming were completely out the window,ā Lagioia said. āHeās just the smiliest, happy guy ā we really feel like we hit the jackpot. We talk about every single day how perfect he is.ā
At home in the Chicago suburbs, Charlie spends his days lounging with his big brother, Moose, and playing outside with the kids.
The only problem, Lagioia said, is that the kids bicker about whose bed Charlie will sleep in at night.
āThey are over the moon for him,ā Lagioia said. āThey canāt wait to get home from school every day to see him.ā
While there are no updates about the man who abused Charlie, Naiden is confident that he is on the policeās radar ā and hopes the people with enough information to formally charge him will come forward.
After everything the dog has been through, Naiden couldnāt help but tear up when she first saw him meet his new family.