Rescuers found Scooch under an abandoned home at the end of a gravel road surrounded by other abandoned houses. It was pitch black but they could see the tan Pit Bull with their flashlight. He was crouched in a corner and as Donna with Stray Rescue of St. Louis crawled over to him he let out a low growl.

But he stopped making any sound after she threw a Vienna sausage in his direction. Seeing the food, Scooch dragged himself over with his front legs. That’s when Donna noticed Scooch wasn’t using his back legs – he was paralyzed.

“He was so hungry and pulled himself toward each piece I tossed,” Donna wrote on Stray Rescue of St. Louis’ website. “We wondered how long this poor dog had been down here, alone and scared. After some back and forth, we knew the safest and least stressful way to get him out was going to be with a trail of food.”

Scooch dragged and pulled himself along, his ailing body unable to resist the food. Donna said that once they reached the opening, he hesitated “as if wondering ‘what is going to happen to me?’ He looked at us and decided to take a leap of faith.”

Donna saw how ill Scooch was as soon as he emerged into the light. It was obvious that he was thin and had open sores on his back feet from dragging himself on the ground. The dog looked up at them as his owners lifted him to the car with a blanket, elated to be helped and relieved to be in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Said Donna, “His grateful eyes, his grey muzzle, and soft kisses tell us he understands we are here to help him.”

Despite the heartbreaking nature of Scooch’s rescue, his bravery and perseverance shine through. This special dog has every reason to hope he will recover, and his rescuers will do everything they can to ensure he has a wonderful life in the future.

It’s been a few weeks since Scooch’s rescue, but supporters of Stray Rescue have come through in spades, donating a set of wheels to give him a way to get around. The rescue shared a video of Scooch happily getting around in his wheelchair and wrote:

“Last week we shared a video of Scooch and said a set of wheels would change his life forever. We cannot thank you all enough. So many people chipped in, others even came to the shelter with a wheelchair their dog doesn’t use anymore. Because of your loving support and incredible generosity, we are THRILLED to show you this video. He is so happy, is getting around great, and even chasing bugs!”