Wesley, a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees, needed to learn how to love after arriving at Austin Pets Alive! in a terrible state.
He came to them basically “feral” with a bad neck wound and fearing people. “Wesley spent the last year of his life with a rope collar knotted so tightly around his neck, it left behind a deep wound and rotting tissue,” the rescue group explained on Facebook.. “This 2-year-old Great Pyrenees lived with a group of roaming dogs all this time, in immense pain and wary of humans.”
Wesley at Austin Pets Alive!
It wasn’t until a concerned community member alerted the city that Wesley needed help that he went first to Austin Animal Center, where the rope was removed once and for all, and then to Austin Pets Alive.
“This fluffy boy was in need of our Medical Triage & Wellness Clinic due to a large wound around his neck, but he was practically feral, so giving him medical attention required some added patience,” the group added.
Wesley was so shut down he tried to pretend people didn’t exist. He didn’t want to be seen or touched. But he had a special caregiver in Alex who began to work with him. He opened slowly thanks to getting lots of cheese and hotdogs and allowed more physical contact. He started to play and loved his rope toys and to play tuggies.
“Alex showed up for Wesley day in and day out, patiently showing this injured soul that people can be good and offer love, they wrote. “Gradually, trust was gained, and these two formed a friendship that will last a lifetime.”
Thankfully, this contact would shortly pay off after the staff realized his neck wound had become infected. By this point, Wesley would let Alex clean his neck wound daily and they could shave away his matted fur. When he was allowed to leave his kennel and go outside, he was so happy.
Around a month later, Alex had found the perfect foster-to-adopt family for Wesley. They came and visited with him for multiple weeks before taking him home and will continue to help him heal.
To help support Austin Pets Alive! in their continued efforts to care for their rescue dogs visit their website.
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