When you see Charlie today, you could never guess what he went through only three weeks ago. This dog was on death's door, all alone and freezing to death.
But now, Charlie has many friends and a very good reason to smile!
A terrible accident
Charlie's ordeal started on 11th January when he was hit by a car on a road in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
The person who ran him over obviously did not stop, because if they had, they would have seen that Charlie, though injured, was still alive.
Instead, the poor dog was left for dead, waiting in the snow by the side of the road.
Luckily, two people passing by found Charlie before he crossed the rainbow road and used their sweatshirts to warm him up until a driver would pull up and help them get Charlie some help.
Charlie arrived in the animal hospital in Kannapolis. Although stable, Charlie was evidently in need of urgent medical care.
In addition to cuts and bruises from the collision Charlie's pelvis had been crushed... the surgery to fix it was possible, but would cost 4,000 dollars.
A call to solidarity
No one knew if Charlie had a pet parent, and even if he did have one, it was impossible to locate them. Charlie's case seemed all but lost, when something amazing happened... The relative of one of the passersby that spotted Charlie had launched a GoFundMe page in the hope of collecting enough funds for the operation. In just a few days, over 180 people collected enough money necessary to help the dog that had been left for dead.
For veterinary assistant Heather Russel, the magnitude of support for Charlie was surprising. "Honestly, I was speechless. I love animals and I save them, but to see so many people step up to help was incredible," she said. "I can never thank everyone enough!"
The operation went well, and since, Charlie hasn't stopped smiling.
It will take time before Charlie is completely back to normal, but he's already back on his paws!
"He's getting better so quickly!" exclaimed Russell. "He's a fighter and he just wants to be able to get everywhere."
He will soon be able to go to his new home. Charlie received many offers of adoption that Russell has started to process, but she's doing just the same for other dogs that need saving.
Laws vary from state to state as to car accidents involving pets, but in North Carolina, sanctions are limited. Heather Russell has launched a petition to make running a pet over and leaving them to suffer on the side of the road illegal.
What do you think of this story? Would you adopt a Charlie?