Stray dog was all skin and bones until Good Samaritan rescues him and is unrecognizable now

It was two days before Christmas back in 2017 when animal rescuer Pia visited her friend in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Upon arrival, Pia’s friend asked her to help catch a stray dog spotted near her home.

After running around the neighborhood for what seemed to be hours, Pia finally found the dog lying next to a house. She was shocked to see the condition of the dog – his eyes looked dull, his body was already skeletal and was covered in sores.

“I cried because I could not believe that no one had helped him,” Pia told The Dodo in an interview.

She placed the dog inside a cage and immediately took him to a vet, because it looked like the poor animal might not make it through the night.

The veterinarian told Pia that with round the clock attention and care, the dog stood a chance of survival. So Pia, with her heart for the animals, dedicated her time and focus to save the dog. “I dropped everything to make sure that he would be okay,” she said.

During the first two days, the dog continued to lose weight because he refused to eat anything. Pia gave him water every three hours that kept him hydrated. “On two occasions, I thought he was going to die because he really wasn’t looking good,” she said.

But to everyone’s surprise, the dog fought hard and he got better over the next days. With such fighting spirit, Pia decided to name him ‘Hercules.’

As Hercules recovered, Pia would help him try to walk. One day, he could finally walk by himself little by little. He regained his strength, his body and fur grew, and he ran like the wind.

At first, Pia planned to put Hercules up for adoption when he regained full health, but now that their bond grew and strengthened, she could no longer let him go.

Now, they’re enjoying each other’s company as a family!