Elderly Injured German Shepherd Helped Dog Stuck In Ditch Survive

When Kern County Animal Services got a call about a dog stuck in an irrigation ditch they were surprised to find two dogs close to death. The two dogs were dangerously malnourished, dehydrated, and weak. The filthy water in the ditch was the only thing that had kept them alive and the pair of dogs had been lying in it to stay cool in the California summer heat. From their condition, they hadn’t eaten in a very long time and the animal control officers had no way of knowing how the dogs had gotten into the drain ditch.

The young Queensland heeler was so weak he could not stand up. His rescuers named him Starsky. The elderly German Shepherd had a swollen head due to multiple skull fractures. They named him Hutch.

“Our animal control workers, medical team, and animal care workers came together to save these two dogs and give them the chance to find new forever homes,” Kern County Animal Services wrote. However, the two dogs were in such serious condition, that their rescuers took things day by day.

After a couple of days, Starsky began to perk up, happy to be fussed over. Hutch was given lots of pain medications and enjoyed eating and walking about. One day, when the staff were checking on Hutch, they realized he had crossed Rainbow Bridge. The rescuers were heartbroken. But Starsky’s situation took a joyous turn.

Shortly after he arrived at the shelter, staff received a call. Starsky, whose name is Dingy, had a family and they had never stopped looking for him in the month he had been missing. They were in tears when they saw him. And he was quickly in their arms and off to their vet, where he is making a full recovery.

The staff at the shelter asked if Dingy’s family had a senior German Shepherd but they didn’t. Hutch wasn’t theirs. It appears that the old German Shepherd had met Dingy while living on the streets. Kern County Animal Services wrote, “That old dog was Dingy’s guardian angel. He stuck by his side until help arrived. Once he knew Dingy was safe, Hutch knew his final job was complete. Good boy, Hutch. Run free…” They dedicated this video to Hutch.

Visit Kern County Animal Services website to offer your support.