4-Week-Old Mango, Left For Dead With A Stomach Full Of Plastic, Finds Redemption Through The Love Of His Rescuers

puppies
October 17, 2017

In today’s day and age, it seems there is no end to the cruelties humans inflict on the canine companions we have a duty to care for. We abuse them, kill them, and some even torture these dogs who want nothing more than to be our loyal companions. In Spain, one Podenco Canario named Mango has been left with no choice but to overcome the horrors his breed is subjected to on a daily basis.

Podenco Canarios, or Podencos as they’re often known, are a breed of hunting hounds from Spain. These dogs are bred to hunt rabbits, and when the hunting season draws to an end most of the dogs are killed or abandoned. The hunters say it’s cheaper to just buy new dogs than to feed the old ones. Most of the dogs are poisoned, drowned, or abandoned with broken legs. Mango was found abandoned in the mountains at four weeks old with his brother after hunting season drew to a close.

Volunteers with a Podenco rescue heard the hunger cries of the two pups and stepped in to rescue them. The veterinarians found that Mango’s stomach was full of plastics and plants that he had eaten out of desperation, trying to fill a starving stomach with the only things available to him. He’d been left to die in the mountains that his parents had probably hunted - and died in. Thankfully, unlike the tens of thousands of Podencos abandoned and killed each year, Mango and his brother were picked up by a Podenco rescued from Valencia, Spain.

The terrified four-week olds required immediate veterinary help to clear the plastics from their stomach, and then they were matched with a foster home who was determined to save them. Within a few hours of arriving at the foster home, his foster parents were smitten. Mango would never have cause to worry about his future again, as they knew right then that they were his forever home.

Mango and his brother began to thrive in the care of the foster family, and his brother soon found his very own forever family. Mango began to grow into the dog he was always destined to be, and he began to make canine friends of his very own. His best friend - and surrogate mother - is Juanita. A gorgeous shepherd mix who helps Mango learn the manners his real mother would have taught him. His doting owners even started an Instagram account just for him to help raise awareness of the plight of Podencos around the world.

Podenco Canarios have been dealt a rough card in life, and without the help of people who know about this breed’s plight, it’s not likely to change. When they do get taken to shelters, they’re so common that they are often overlooked. Mango clearly had a guardian angel around to save his life when he needed help the most. Thankfully, Mango will never have to fear for his life or eat plastic ever again, thanks to some dedicated rescuers.

If you loved this story, be sure to share it with your friends on Facebook!