Duke Could Barely Stand When He Was Rescued. Then He Spent Halloween With a Family.

For most of his first weekend at Park Place Animal Hospital, Duke stayed down. He’d arrived so weak that the veterinary team couldn’t get the blood samples they needed. While they waited for him to get stronger, they kept watch around the clock and offered him several meals a day.

Then Duke got to his feet. He managed a little walking, and his appetite started coming back. Those were small things, but after a weekend spent mostly lying down, they gave his rescuers a reason to hope he might soon be well enough to leave the hospital.

Getting him there in the first place had taken a call from another rescuer and a second trip to the property where he was found.

What it took to get Duke to the vet

A fellow rescuer had alerted Texas All Creatures Rescue to a dog in poor condition near Alvarado, Texas. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department became involved after the team’s first attempt to help. The next morning, the team returned with the owner’s permission, according to Dory Cox’s firsthand account of Duke’s rescue.

Once Cox saw Duke up close, she called Park Place Animal Hospital and arranged to take him in. On the way there, he struggled to breathe.

“I truly did not know if he was going to make it to the hospital,” Cox wrote.

“Changes in your pet’s breathing are always a concern,” the American Animal Hospital Association explains in its guide to pet emergencies.

Duke made it to the hospital. Cox kept talking with his owner, who eventually agreed to surrender Duke to Texas All Creatures Rescue.

A few steps were a big deal

Duke spent nearly a week in the hospital. The veterinary team treated him for skin infections and parasites, fed him several meals throughout the day, and monitored him around the clock. Medicated baths were part of his care.

As VCA Animal Hospitals explains, “medicated shampoos are prescribed to treat a specific skin condition.”

At first, Duke spent most of his time lying down. When he began getting up and taking a few steps and his appetite improved, Cox wrote that “we are seeing small but encouraging signs of progress.”

By the time Duke was well enough to leave, a foster home was ready for him. At his follow-up, he’d gained 10 pounds, had more energy, and had less swelling in his ears, according to the recovery account shared by Dogs Are Family on YouTube. He still needed medication and follow-up care, and he could now recover in a home.

Duke’s first Halloween with his family

In the video’s Halloween update, Duke’s coat was growing back and his personality was starting to show. He still had heartworm treatment ahead of him. But by Halloween, the dog who’d barely gotten up during his first weekend in the hospital was well enough to spend a holiday at home with a family.

Rescue credit goes to Dory Cox and Texas All Creatures Rescue, the veterinary team at Park Place Animal Hospital, and Duke’s foster caregivers.

If Duke’s first Halloween made you smile, share his story with someone who has a soft spot for rescue dogs.

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Atlas Could Barely Lift His Head. Then His Rescuers Helped Him Stand Again