Diogo

When we first found Diogo, he was so badly injured that we weren't sure if he could be saved, but we still had to try.

Diogo had been abandoned and was left to fend for himself on the streets of Brazil, although he clearly wasn't flourishing. Sadly, poor Diogo's skin had become infested with maggots that were literally eating him alive. The maggots targeted Diogo's face and ate away at his flesh until his skull was exposed. 

To make matters worse, Diogo was dangerously malnourished and dehydrated, and also infested with painful ticks. He was admitted to our rescue with a high fever and was in agonizing pain. His journey to recovery has been anything but easy.

Diogo was rescued in critical condition and needed urgent medical attention to save his life. His wounds were cleaned and bandaged and he received multiple blood transfusions. Then, he underwent lifesaving facial reconstruction surgery and received powerful painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medication. After surgery, he had to be fed through an esophageal tube for the first couple of days. 

In addition to everything, he also has ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease that causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, and headaches, so he is received another blood transfusion to help.

Diogo made huge strides in his recovery journey and began walking and eating solid food. Unfortunately, Diogo then started limping and chewing at his paw, and X-rays revealed that he had been shot and had multiple bullets still lodged in his paw. He underwent another surgery to remove two bullets from his paw, and was started on physiotherapy, acupuncture, and laser therapy. 

Miraculously, after being found at death's door, undergoing multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, Diogo's injuries have healed and he is no longer in intense pain. 

Best of all, after all his trauma, Diogo has been adopted by a wonderful couple who are excited to give Diogo the amazing and loving life he deserves. Diogo even has a new dog sister and they are already in love with each other. 

Of course, Diogo's new life wouldn't have been possible without our generous supporters and awesome partners at CUDDLY who helped share Diogo's remarkable story and made his lifesaving facial reconstruction surgery possible. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking a chance on Diogo and giving him the life he deserves.