Old Dog Who Couldn’t Even Lift His Head After He Was Dumped Makes Heartwarming Recovery

My heart broke when I saw a photo of Norman, a deaf, elderly dog who was abused, starved and abandoned in a parking lot, but when I finished reading Norman’s story, I couldn’t stop smiling.

11-year-old Norman was covered with thousands of fleas and sores and severely emaciated when he was found by a Good Samaritan in Indiana. Malnourished and extremely dehydrated, Norman had no energy, was lethargic and couldn’t even walk or lift his head.

The Good Samaritan called a rescue group called Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside (FIDO), who set out to save the dog who had been beaten and starved.

Because of their efforts, Norman now has a forever home with Susan Niehoff who couldn’t help but to fall in love with the old boy.

This is Norman, nearly a year after his rescue.

Norman suffers from arthritis that has affected his ability to get around on his rear legs. Norman even received a donated wheelchair to help him get around and Norman is embracing it. “He’s happy now, he can go places,” said Susan Niehoff, adding “He wants to go places.”

Susan writes, “On July 21st I was introduced to an extremely emaciated, fearful dog who had been kicked, starved, neglected, and ignored. He paced the floor and cringed when touched. I named him Norman, even though he cannot hear his name. Sadly, he had had so many untreated ear infections that he was left deaf.”

“For the first couple of months he displayed an extreme food aggression, and was constantly hungry. I gave him his space, but also reached out to him. Soon he began to trust me, and now he loves being loved,” wrote Susan, “Norman is around eleven years old, but he acts like a very young dog. What a joy he is to me and my family and friends.”

Norman now sticks to Susan like “velcro”.

Update: Since this story was written, Norman has passed away. FIDO wrote that they were grateful to Susan for giving Norman a loving home for his final years.

The rescue wrote, “Norman was a gentle old soul who would sit tranquilly while children pet and cuddled him. He only barked when he thought his dinner was taking too long, or when Susan arrived home later than usual, in which case he would ‘scold’ her for making him wait. We are so grateful to Susan for giving this sweet boy a home and ensuring that his final days were ones of peace, love, comfort and companionship.”

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