In Richards Bay, South Africa, a woman walking through an undeveloped patch of land suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Poking out from a heap of rubble and discarded plastic were two thin brown legs — and a pair of frightened eyes staring back at her.
She immediately called the local neighborhood watch. Two captains rushed to the scene, expecting to find dumped trash, but instead discovered a young dog tied inside a plastic bag and left to die.
Working carefully, they cut the pup free and carried him out of the debris and gently placed him in the grass nearby.
Exhausted and weak, the dog — later named Rocky — stretched his legs and took in fresh air. Volunteers gave him ice cubes to soothe him as they waited for SPCA Richards Bay to arrive.
At the shelter, Rocky was examined and treated for a small head wound. Malnourished but resilient, he quickly began to gain weight, and with proper care, his personality blossomed.
“Rocky is now the sweetest, most outgoing puppy,” a representative from SPCA Richards Bay told The Dodo. “We were amazed at how a puppy who had been discarded like trash could love and trust again.”
Rocky’s story took an even happier turn when he was adopted by a loving family with a farm. Today, instead of being trapped under garbage, Rocky spends his days racing through open fields — free, safe, and deeply loved.
To support more rescues like Rocky’s, you can donate to SPCA Richards Bay.
