Until help arrived, the abandoned sheepdog had almost given up hope.

He was most likely a sheepdog at one point in his life. However, when this dog became ill, he was abandoned and left to fend for himself. He had almost given up hope by the time the Greek rescue organization SPAZ learned of an ill shepherd dog wandering around a rural area near Athens, Greece.

Because he was terrified and couldn’t be approached easily, rescuers decided to use food to calm him down. “We followed him around the fields, waiting for the medicine to kick in,” SPAZ wrote. “After about an hour of following him around, he finally gave up and went to sleep. “The rest was simple.”

The dog had one ear removed, had lost most of his fur, had numerous sores across his body, and was infested with fleas and ticks. Despite his dire circumstances, he was simply suffering from ehrichia, a tick-borne disease.

He has made a speedy recovery since arriving to the rescue, and he is now healthy and ready for a permanent home!

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