When Pia first saw Hercules lying in the street his eyes weren’t shining – he had given up on living. He was so skinny and frail that she cried, she couldn’t believe no one had stopped to help him.
She didn’t think he would make it through the night, but she brought him to a vet anyway and was told if he made it through the weekend then maybe he stood a chance.
Pia brought him home and gave him water every three hours, but he did not want to eat and lost two pounds in the first few days.
But like the mythic Hercules, the little dog refused to give up and Pia could tell he was fighting to live. She nearly lost him on two occasions, but Hercules continued to fight.
He was so skinny and frail he couldn’t stand up. So it’s no wonder that his rescuer cried like a baby when he took his first steps.