Nicholas

Abandoned in a carrier when the temperature outside was below 20 degrees.

The man noticed an unattended bag, right on our corner, and saw it move. He unzipped it to find a shivering little dog. The man knew we were right up the block and brought him to us.

Nicholas, as we named him, was shaking and in critical condition. Most of his hair was missing and his body was raw, bruised and bleeding. Even his paws were bleeding from constantly scratching himself for some relief. His nails were so long that they curled under, piercing into his foot pads.

This little fellow was miserable and had likely been suffering a long time.

Our doctors placed the Shih Tzu mix at about 3 years old. He was wearing a harness but had no ID. During his exam we had to handle him very gently and carefully. His skin was so sensitive and painful that he cried out.

Nicholas was diagnosed with a serious bacterial skin infection and both ears were swollen and badly infected. He was terribly frightened, freezing, weak, severely malnourished and dehydrated, not neutered, and he had a hernia.

Nicholas was painfully shy and fearful. It took time to gain his trust.

It was a long journey to get him well. After months of intensive daily medical care and treatments to rebuild his little body, his skin and ears have healed and fluffy hair has grown in. When we got him up to a healthy weight, he was able to have both surgeries.

Nicholas is still a bit on the shy side, but to see him recognize you and wag his tail to greet you is the greatest feeling in the world.