Darlene was getting a manicure from her usual nail technician – a woman she liked and had been visiting for years. The woman told her about her son’s unwanted puppy, a dog he refused to provide food, water and shelter. Darlene assumed the technician was feeding the dog when in fact Smokey was slowly being starved to death. The manicurist finally confessed that she wanted to “put the dog down” but didn’t want to pay the $200 fee to do so. Darlene, an animal lover not an animal rescuer, requested a photo of the Smokey.

What she saw was an emaciated, sad dog.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. It made me ill. He looked like something out of a concentration camp,” Darlene told PAWsitive, a YouTube Channel that films original, inspirational, and heartfelt animal stories filmed in and around Southern California and supports local animal charities.

Darlene dropped everything and went to the technician’s home where she found Smokey, who was barely able to walk and unable to even eat the food she offered. She dropped some unkind remarks to the son and took the dog with her. She offered him food in the car, but he was too weak to eat. He needing vet help – fast.

When Smokey was brought to the animal hospital, he was immediately put on an IV drip where he was given round the clock fluids and proper food. His blood work showed food deprivation that spanned weeks, possibly months. His digestive system was in shock.

Forte Animal Rescue a non-profit rescue group based in Marina del Rey, California, stepped in to help Darlene with the hospital care and bills as well as to re-home Smokey. His vet bills amounted to thousands of dollars of which Darlene and the rescue took care of.

Within a month, Smokey had gained 20 lbs, going from 40 lbs to 60lbs.

A Forever Home

Today, not even a year later, Smokey is recovered and lives in Los Angeles with a wonderful family.

One of the Forte animal fosters took Smokey to her work, which is a commercial visual effects company in Los Angeles. Rasha, an artist who works there fell in love with Smokey. She had a sudden kinship/connection with him that was irrefutable.