This sweet dog felt the ultimate betrayal when his owners ran over his leg and didn’t bother to help him.
Instead, they let him sit outside and suffer.
Luckily, he’d soon realize the world wasn’t as cruel as he thought.
Someone kind who cared about him just happened to live next door…
Keep reading to find out what happened next.

Waiting for a Hero
In a town outside of Dayton, Tennessee, one woman saw something she couldn’t ignore.
Her neighbors had run over their dog’s leg.
Each day she would watch the dog, waiting for the owners to take him to the vet.
But each day she saw him sitting outside, injured and suffering.

“She just had enough,” said Erin Burke, board member and foster at East Tennessee Alliance for Animals. “She was tired of seeing him sitting there with his little leg mangled so she asked if she could get him the proper vet care.”
Luckily, the owners agreed, surrendering the dog named Todd to the woman’s care.
This was the day Todd’s life would change forever.

Team Todd
As soon as permission was granted from the owners, off Todd went to the vet.
But it was already too late…
“They took one look at his leg and said ‘the injury is too old, he needs an amputation,’” recalled Erin.
The woman was determined to help Todd.

She’d watched him suffer for days and didn’t want him to spend another day without the care he desperately needed and deserved.
She needed the help of East Tennessee Alliance for Animals (ETAA).
“So that’s when she got in touch with the East Tennessee Alliance for Animals and we raised enough money for him to have a surgery,” said Erin.
ETAA jumped into action upon hearing the news.

They shared Todd’s story on their social media accounts and were met with kindness and support from their online community.
“We had enough really kind people that donated towards his care in a fairly short amount of time,” said Erin.
With an entire community cheering Todd on, he finally received the long-overdue medical care he needed.

Trouble in Paradise
“I have a real soft spot for special needs or medical cases,” said Erin. “So, I was sent his picture and of course I said, I can’t wait to foster him!”
Erin was no stranger to special needs dogs– most of her foster animals come with challenging medical needs.
She was the perfect foster for Todd.

She gently changed his bandages, offered him delicious treats, and provided him with a warm, safe place to rest.
However, there was just one problem– Todd kept scratching at his incision. It would never heal unless he couldn’t scatch it.
Erin would need to get creative about solving this problem.

The Toughest Tripod
A friend of Erin’s, a vet tech with her own tripod pup, told Erin to use an old pair of leggings to fashion Todd clothes that would cover the bandages.
But Erin couldn’t dress Todd in any old leggings.
“I of course went overboard,” said Erin. “I got an army pair of leggings and one with skulls on them. Gotta make him look cool while he’s healing!”

Todd was definitely the coolest looking tripod pup around!
With his incision back on track to heal properly, Todd was about to feel as great as he looked.
Under-appreciated Underbite
“When I got Todd, he was sort of confused at first,” recalled Erin. “Then he just totally blossomed out of his shell.”
Erin couldn’t help but fall in love with Todd’s playful personality – and his underbite.

“I almost kept him,” said Erin.
She loved everything about Todd, down to his silly tongue that seemed to hang out of his mouth more than it was in.
But Erin was committed to fostering and already had three dogs of her own, so the search for Todd’s perfect home continued.
However, no one seemed to appreciate how special Todd was.

One More Chance
“He had two adopters back out,” explained Erin. “I said to myself, if this third person does not appreciate this dog, he’s not going anywhere.”
Todd was an incredible dog. Erin couldn’t imagine why anyone would lose interest in him.
Just when she was starting to lose hope, a new family showed interest in him.

Erin connected with them, unsure of what to expect.
“They were head over heels, they couldn’t wait to bring him home,” said Erin.
It was a perfect match. Finally, Todd had a forever family that loved and accepted him.

Finally! A Forever Home
Erin was so happy that Todd finally found his perfect home, even if it wasn’t with her.
“It was exactly where he needed to be, so it worked out perfectly,” said Erin.
Now Todd spends his days in the comfort of his new home being showered with love and attention.
He skips, prances, and runs perfectly fine with 3 legs.

He’ll never have to worry about being hurt or neglected ever again. Those days are far behind him.
Now he can look forward to a lifetime of beautiful memories with a family he can call his own.
Thank you to Erin for continuing to provide special care to special dogs, to a neighbor that couldn’t ignore a pup in need, and to a community that came together when Todd needed them the most.
Be sure to follow Erin on Instagram to keep up with her latest foster adventures and learn how to help!
Cindy Bernard
Wednesday 8th of September 2021
This owner should be fined triple the amount of his care was. The laws need to be stronger for abuse and neglect. This has to STOP. He should not be allowed to have another pet. These stories are so sad. and nothing is being done about the horrendous suffering that is happing. Thank You Cindy
sherry williams
Thursday 15th of July 2021
This is just horrible glad to hear got new loving home