An abandoned and extremely emaciated dog with no ears and no tongue rescued and nursed back to health

An extremely emaciated dog with no ears and no tongue has been found wandering the streets of Ohio, US. The neglected pet, now named Penny, was covered in painful sores and wasn't going to make it if not for The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project that nursed the pooch back to health.

'Heartbreaking condition'

When Penny was first spotted, people couldn't believe their eyes. The dog was unbelievably emaciated. Her ears had been cut off. Penny also had 'an open sore on her butt, filled with flies and larvae'. There was also something wrong with her mouth, which was limiting her ability to eat and drink.

The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project, an Ohio-based charity saving lives of heartworm-positive and medical-needs dogs, took the pet in, Newsweek writes.

Following the vet assessment, it was confirmed that Penny’s ears were 'completely gone'. She will need to wear ear muffs on occasion to protect her ear canals.

The animal was also suffering a degloved lip, meaning her top lip was 'completely torn' from the gum line due to trauma. Almost all of Penny’s teeth were either worn down or gone. She was also missing a tongue. It was concluded that the dog would need to be hand-fed and given water via a syringe for the foreseeable future.

The vets also noticed that the poor canine was also unable to pant. Penny will need to avoid high temperatures. She also had two small tumours that will need to be removed.

'She has a will to live'

Despite her trauma and injuries, Penny showed a will to live and her bubbly personality under the great care of The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project.

Kari Lyn, a volunteer at the shelter, who spent 'quite a while' with the dog, saw that she could eat with hand-fed wet food. She could also drink water using a syringe.

Kari Said:

She is a very loving girl and super sweet. She definitely has the will to live and still acts like a normal dog in every other way. Will she ever be able to go on a jog with someone or eat dry food or drink water out of a bowl? No, but just because she needs some help eating and drinking is not a reason to put her down.

Ready for her 'forever home'

The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project continues sharing frequent updates on Penny’s wellbeing on social media. The survivor pet made an incredible recovery over the past month. It now weighs 62 pounds and is expected to come up to 70!

The video shared on Facebook shows how Penny eats meatballs soaked in water. The happy-looking animal is also free from pain and sores.

Penny has recently had her first overnight stay in her ‘foster-to-adopt’ home, where she met her ‘soon-to-be’ feline brothers.

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