Dogs are simply amazing animals and the title of ‘man’s best friend’ couldn’t be more fitting. Sadly, humanity doesn’t exactly return friendships.
Larry, an 8-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, was found living on the street after being abandoned by his family when they moved out. It’s completely barbaric, but it’s something all too common these days. Many people don’t seem to care about their dog as their beloved dog ages.
Larry had nowhere to go but people in the neighborhood noticed that he was hiding in the parking lot of a landscaping business across from his old house. For months he lay in the dirt, and he did not give up hope that his family would return to him.
The poor dog’s survival depends on the generosity of construction workers, passing motorists and kind samaritans who sometimes feed him leftovers. One day, a delivery driver saw Larry’s dire condition. “Every day I see him hungry and thirsty waiting for any truck driver willing enough to give him something to eat or drink. My heart is broken and I wish I could help him but my circumstances simply don’t allow me to bring him home.”
Soon the story of the dog reached Sasha Abelson, president of Love Leo Rescue. She acted immediately and went to pick up Larry. Abelson, along with volunteer rescuers, took the dog to the vet in Los Angeles for medical attention. When Larry went to the vet, some gruesome discoveries were made. The first thing they notice. The old dog’s stomach is bloated, despite not being able to eat and drink regularly for several months.
Larry also lost patches of hair on his legs. He can barely walk and the problem is most serious: He has Cushing’s disease, a condition caused by a primary tumor in the adrenal cortex that directly produces cortisol. Larry has been through more than any dog should, but he still wags his tail when he sees his rescuers.
Love Leo Rescue decided to help him, and for nearly two months, Larry had to live in a veterinary clinic while he adjusted to his new medication. “At the time, he was a bit sad, a bit depressed, and reactive to other dogs,” says Sasah Abelson. After a while, Larry’s health began to improve.
But Larry had no luck. Three times Larry was permanently adopted, and three times returned to the rescue. They returned to Larry after a few weeks, saying he didn’t get along with the cat, the kids or anything. Plus, the dog’s health problems are managed with monthly medication that costs its new owners about $180 a month. Many people choose not to adopt Larry because of that additional cost.
But in March 2019, Regina Gift Pens read about Larry and was moved by his story, according to NBC Los Angeles. She adopted him and Larry finally found his “interesting” home.