The Transformation of Hercules

Stray dogs, fighting to survive on the streets, are distressing to witness. Dogs are lost without someone to love them.

Some find a pack of other dogs to run with, offering a chance of survival, but life on the streets remains a struggle.

In Buenos Aires, the Argentinian capital, a significant issue with stray dogs persists. While all cities contend with strays, their numbers are particularly high in Buenos Aires.

Among these, a tiny and starving dog named Hercules was desperate for help on the streets. He felt his life was broken, with no one willing to offer assistance.

However, a compassionate woman named Pia completely transformed his life.

On December 23, 2017, animal rescuer Pia received a call from a friend. Pia’s friend had seen a stray dog running around near her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

When she found him, he was skin and bones, lying on the ground, with no fur and no sparkle in his eyes. The neglected pup was scared and weak. In fact, the dog was skeletal, and he was so malnourished he couldn’t stand up.

“I cried because I couldn’t believe no one had helped him,” said Pia, according to The Dodo.

Pia took him to the vet but didn’t think he would make it through the night. The vet told Pia to wait a couple of days and see how he was. He needed round-the-clock care. It would be a tough journey for both of them. For the next two days, he couldn’t eat and lost even more weight.

He couldn’t walk because he’d lost the muscle in his legs. Pia was worried and not sure he would survive through the night, but she stayed with him.

He fought for his life and didn’t give up. Pia called him Hercules. Although Pia tried to make the poor pup eat some food, he ate nothing in the first few days. He lost a few more pounds, and this scared Pia even more.

She thought all hope was lost…

But then he started to eat and fought so hard to stand up. He wanted to live. He began to fight, like a true Herculean, and found the strength to carry on. Eventually, he stood up on his own!

It was after this that things started to really change for the better. Hercules began running around Pia’s house, the sparkle returned to his eyes, he got stronger and his fur grew back.

By February 2018, he was a transformed dog, a vibrant contrast to his former self. Hardly recognizable from the state he was in when Pia found him. But with love and devotion, he was brought back to life.

Even though nobody else cared for the pup, Pia didn’t give up or lose hope in him. Thanks to his loving rescuer, he regained his life. Pia says Hercules is a very cuddly dog, as if he’s saying thank you to her. When he was ready to be adopted, Pia just couldn’t bring herself to give him up; she had to keep him.

Since adopting Hercules, their bond has grown even stronger. It’s amazing to see how happy and healthy Hercules looks!