His skin was bright red, and he’d lost almost all his hair. From itching for relief, he had numerous sores and scratch marks all over his body. Now he was trapped in a cell, shaking from fear.
He was found by a Good Samaritan on the streets of Chicago and he was brought to Chicago Animal Care and Control for help. No one knew how long the 1-year-old dog had been out there — but it was clear no one had cared for him in a very long time.
“He had the worst case of mange I have ever seen,” Stephanie Lee, volunteer, and foster with the shelter told The Dodo. “I walked by his cage and literally just started crying. He was shaking and licking his paws … Several spots on his body were bleeding because of how raw and infected it was.”
That’s when Lee connected with Tanner Smith, a Knox County Humane Society shelter worker, to get Oliver out of the high-intake city shelter and into a loving foster home.
“When I first saw him, I fell in love instantly,” Smith told The Dodo. “He looked so bad. I knew we needed to help him.”
Oliver didn’t care about the pain he was experiencing, it was obvious from the beginning that he just wanted to be loved. When shelter volunteers sat down on the ground with him, he started rolling all over them and his tail wouldn’t stop wagging.
While Oliver’s past is unclear, Lee and Smith believe he definitely belonged to someone before ending up on the streets.
“He was not malnourished when he was found,” Lee said. “It seems like he was someone’s dog and they didn’t take him to the vet when his skin started getting bad. They just dumped him when he didn’t get better.”
After a thorough vet check, Oliver was confirmed to have Demodex mange and secondary skin infections. Lee and Johnny set Oliver up in their own bedroom and brought him home on April 4.
“He was so uncomfortable that he’d just be tossing and turning all night,” Lee said. “He really didn’t sleep well for a while.”
Oliver received gentle baths each day by Lee, who used a medicated shampoo and coconut oil to clean his skin.
“Most dogs would try to escape the bath or get really stressed out,” Lee said. “But he would just sit there very calmly like he knew that I was trying to help him. It was pretty awesome.”
Oliver achieved a breakthrough after four weeks worth of daily baths, medication, and ointments. His horribly irritated skin had begun clearing and he suddenly wasn’t spending his days in pain.
He actually smiled.
“He stopped trying to rub his body everywhere to get relief,” Lee said. “He just opened up. He was looking for love. He wanted to be a player. He loved to go on walks. It was great to see him just be a normal, happy dog.”
Oliver got better each day. Oliver became obsessed with toys, and even began going on runs alongside Lee. He was excited to meet new people and dogs.
“He’s just a big puppy who wants to play,” Lee said. “But he can be super lovey and affectionate and cuddly.”
Oliver is now healthy and mange-free after six weeks living with his foster parents.
He’s now looking for the perfect family to spend his days with — a moment Lee and Smith are anxiously awaiting.
After seeing Oliver’s strong will to recover, they can’t wait for him to finally get the loving home he deserves.
“It’s like he’s experiencing love for the first time,” Smith said. “And he just loves everyone right back.”
