TinTin the Pit bull's former owner did not love him or look after him, and likely used him as a "trophy". In Bali, Indonesia, big dog breeds are seen as symbols of wealth and power. But as soon as the pup got sick, his former owner took him to the vet and never came back to get him, reports The Dodo.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
This vet did not even bother to help TinTin, and just kept him in a cage getting thinner and thinner.Ebony Owens, director at Bali Dog Adoption and Rehabilitation Centre (BARC), has a theory - the previous owner was not paying the vet, so the vet was not going to deliver the services.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
In August last year, Owens got a message on Facebook from a man who had seen the dog being kept in a cage at the vet. Owens acted quickly, she said:
We had to act quickly because he didn't have long left. At that point, we didn't know what was wrong with him — all we could do was hope.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
They took TinTin to a different vet, who immediately put him on IV fluids and fed him, before doing full blood tests. However, they were surprised at the results:
We thought by the state of him he must have had kidney failure or something drastic, but it turned out he had a mild case of blood parasite carried by ticks.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
TinTin's principle problem was starvation, and it's possible that he was already starving before he got taken to the vet the first time. Owens explained that sadly, there are so many "status symbol" dogs like TinTin in Indonesia, who do not get the care they need:
There's an extreme lack of knowledge here of the appropriate care of these [Western] breeds, so most often they end up behind bars for life with completely inadequate care.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
Over the course of only two months, TinTin doubled his weight and became the happiest dog at the shelter, where he is living while waiting to be adopted into his forever home.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
He loves playing fetch and running around, probably because he had been in a cage for most of his life.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
Owens continued:
He loves attention from anyone. He still has 100 percent trust and faith in humans even after all they had done to him.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
If you would like to support BARC, make a donation here and help other rescued dogs like TinTin have their medical expenses paid for and get a second chance at a happy life.
Source: Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center
H/t: The Dodo
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