It’s almost unbelievable that beneath the hairless, sickly, and emaciated dog discovered by Stephanie Smith-Justus on her street in Virginia, there was a hidden puppy. But one thing was certain the moment she laid eyes on the puppy – he was fighting for his life.
As fate would have it, Stephanie is the president of the Buchanan County Humane Society, and she also had a stroke of luck – the veterinarian she regularly works with lives on the same street. From the moment Stephanie cradled the dog she named Watkins in her arms, his journey of survival and recovery became nothing short of miraculous.
Stephanie shared Watkins’ rescue story on Facebook, a narrative that tugs at the heartstrings: “On May 7, 2015, Watkins was found. Before this date, we knew nothing about him. He was found by my neighbor who alerted me to a ‘dog who was in terrible shape.’”
She continues, “My husband and I went to find him. He was found on the street where we live. He had been abandoned and severely neglected. My husband’s first words were, ‘He’s not going to make it.’”
