Scotch, unable to use his hind legs, struggled to escape from his dark confinement and reach the light.

He was found by animal rescuers beneath his abandoned house at the end of a cobblestone road, surrounded by other deserted homes.

They spotted the brown pitbull with their flashlights despite the darkness. As Donna cautiously approached, the dog backed into a corner, letting out a low growl. She tossed a hot dog toward him, and he immediately stopped growling. Seeing the food, Scotch pulled himself up with his front legs.

It was then that Donna realized Scotch wasn’t using his back legs—he was paralyzed.

“He was so hungry that he rushed to every piece of food I tossed his way.” Donna sent a message to the Wayward Rescue website in St. Louis, saying, “We were concerned about how long this poor dog had been abandoned and scared out here.” After some discussion, we agreed that using food to lure him was the safest and least distressing approach.

Scotch dragged himself forward, his weakened body unable to resist the meal. Donna reported that as soon as she approached the entrance to the kennel, she stopped, as if wondering what might happen to her. “He looked at us once and decided to give us a try.”

Donna noticed how terrible Scotch was as soon as she came out. He was very thin, with open sores on his hind legs from dragging himself on the dirt.

They very carefully transferred him to the car with a blanket, and the dog just looked at them, he appreciates their help and is glad to be in an air-conditioned car.

“His appreciative eyes revealed that he realized that all we wanted to do was help him,”Donna explained.

Although rescuing Scotch is a sad thing to witness, his courage and dedication are impressive. We have every hope that this wonderful dog will recover and we know that rescuers are doing everything they can to give him a good life.