Upon arrival at a rescue center in Spain, the puppy named Barilla was severely undernourished that her bones were visible through her skin and her organs were close to malfunctioning.
Upon being taken in by an animal lover, the emaciated canine was nothing but skin and bones with such little muscle mass that she was unable to walk or stand. However, after just seven weeks under the care of Eduardo Rodriguez, the compassionate owner of a rescue center in Granada, Spain, Barilla’s incredible recovery has left him amazed. When she first arrived at the center, she was so helpless that she had marks on her paws and legs, which were thought to have been caused by dragging herself around. At death’s door, her bony frame was visible from the outside.
It is heart-wrenching to hear the story of Barilla, a puppy who was brought into an animal rescue center in Granada, Spain, seven weeks ago. Her bones were protruding through her skin and her organs were close to failing. Barilla had been severely deprived of food and water, leaving her with no muscle mass and unable to support her own weight to walk properly. Luckily, Eduardo Rodriguez, the kind-hearted owner of the rescue center, decided to adopt Barilla and slowly nursed her back to health. It’s amazing to see the love and care that can bring an abused animal back from the brink of death.
At the center, there was a dog who weighed only 16 pounds and was connected to a drip. The staff was aware that this poor dog could suffer from organ failure at any moment. The dog had been severely deprived of food and water, and could barely move its head and tail due to a lack of muscle mass. Despite having rescued dogs since childhood, the rescuer had never seen an animal in such a terrible state as this one. Luckily, they were able to get the dog in time because the vet said it might not have survived another night. They put the dog on a drip for six hours before starting to feed it. To help the dog walk and gain muscle mass, they made a special harness because it couldn’t support its own weight.
Helpless: Upon arrival at the animal rescue center in Granada, Spain, little puppy Barilla was close to death, with marks on her paws and legs and bones sticking out. It is believed that these injuries were caused when she dragged herself around.
Heartbreaking: Barilla weighed only 16lbs and was immediately hooked up to a drip as staff knew she could suffer organ failure at any time. She could only move her head and wag her tail.
Exhausted: After six hours on the drip, Barilla was able to stand up to drink. Despite this progress, upsetting footage shows the emaciated puppy looking forlornly at the camera after being rescued.
I have been rescuing dogs since I was a child, and I am used to seeing them in a bad way, but I have never seen an animal in such a terrible state as Barilla.
Eduardo Rodriguez, rescue center owner
Weak: Street dogs are able to survive off rubbish, so the staff at the rescue center think Barilla was locked up and deprived of food and water. They believe the 10-month-old puppy had been mistreated since birth.
Deprived: When Barilla first arrived at the center, she was so weak she had to eat from a basket lying down as she couldn’t support her own weight.
Weight gain: Barilla began eating five or six times a day and has continued to put on weight after her rescue, thanks to the hard work of the staff at the animal rescue center in Granada.
Seven weeks on, Barilla is a new dog after wolfing down more food than she had likely ever seen in the 10-month nightmare she lived through before. Footage of the remarkable transformation has been viewed by more than two million people on Facebook alone, touching hearts around the world.
Last night, Mr. Rodriguez revealed he had adopted Barilla – thought to be a Belgian Malinois mix – after falling in love with her at first sight.
Desperate: The puppy had been so deprived of food and water that she had no muscle mass and was unable to support her own weight to walk.
He added: ‘Her will to live was amazing, and I felt a connection with her the moment I saw her.’
Responsible: Staff at the animal center are still investigating how the puppy came to be starved and so badly abused. They hope to find the person responsible and denounce them for animal cruelty.
Bond: Barilla’s new owner Eduardo Barilla said he had adopted Barilla – thought to be a Belgian Mal
