Late last month, a Missouri resident named Kelsey Petko paused when she heard “strange noises” coming from a nearby dumpster.
Petko followed the sounds to an empty box of Pampers diapers. Her heart broke when she locked eyes with a small, malnourished
brown puppy peeking out of the cardboard flaps.
Petko shared a photo of the pup to a local Facebook group. When team members at St. Louis Animal Care and Control saw the post, they knew they had to help.
Officer Habib responded to the scene and safely brought the pup, later named Porky, back to the Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment of St. Louis (CARE STL).
“Despite how tiny and thin he was, Porky was described as surprisingly energetic and incredibly cuddly,” a representative for CARE STL told The Dodo.
Rescuers estimated Porky was about two months old and weighed a mere 3.8 pounds. The starving pup had no body fat, and he couldn’t stand on his own.
“Photos and videos don't even begin to capture just how tiny he really is,” CARE STL said. “It's shocking to see him in person, because he's so much smaller than he appears on camera.”
Medical team members began lifesaving care. Despite his dire health, Porky’s resilience shone through.
“We could tell that even though his body was weak, his spirit was strong,” CARE STL said. “He wanted to live. He wanted to play. He wanted to be a puppy. There was a spark in his eyes that was just filled with life, even when his little body couldn't keep up.”
Within weeks, Porky improved by leaps and bounds and eventually gained enough strength to stand on his own. Community members rallied behind Porky, often calling the rescue to check in on him.
“People who have never even met him are cheering him on, and that's been really sweet to see,” CARE STL said.
Just recently, Porky left the shelter to continue his care with a foster family. The pup’s recovery journey isn’t over, but he’s getting stronger every day.
“He still needs to gain a significant amount of weight,” CARE STL said. “And it's important that he does so gradually and safely.”
Soon enough, Porky will be back to a healthy weight and searching for his permanent family, his circumstances forever changed by the dedicated rescuers who never gave up.
