‘Unloved’ shivering pup trapped in drain ‘near dumped weapons’ finds happy life
A shivering puppy with matted fur found trapped in a drain near a canal 'full of discarded weapons' is thriving after being rescued.
The poor pooch was discovered in a storm drain by San Francisco-based graphic designer and urban explorer Michael Vega, who said it looked like the dog had been "stuck for days".
He said the animal had matted fur on his belly, long nails, red eyes and was showing signs of trauma, with a suggestion he may have even been strangled at some point.
Michael carried the pup through a shallow canal in what he described as a particularly sketchy part of town and took him to a vet to get him checked over.
They discovered the dog was not microchipped and was most likely a stray.
Rather than taking his new pal to a shelter, he decided to adopt him, naming him Rusty.
Documenting the rescue on TikTok where he's known as @mvargas.art, he said: "If you guys knew the neighbourhood where I found him, and that canal is notoriously known for, like, people throw their weapons down there.
"I'd find bullets casings, stolen car keys. A couple of years ago, there was a body down there. That neighbourhood has so many strays walking around. When we found Rusty, his belly was extremely matted.
"His nails were very long. He has some sort of trauma because his eyes are red. We don't know if he was strangled. The doctor says he's about three months, so most likely he's a stray pup."
He claimed that "no one loved this dog" but that having Rusty stay with him would ensure he had an "extremely happy, lovable life" from that point onwards.
Michael, though, has been criticised in some quarters by online trolls claiming it was a publicity stunt to promote his small business and that Rusty could have an owner looking for him.
One cynic said: "Feels like you staged a rescue, got views out of it and oh surprise you promote your business. what a world we live in.."
Another added: "The fact he’s ignoring all the comments asking if he’s tried to find an owner…"
A third said: "I really hope you make an actual effort to see if he has an owner before just keeping him. Scanning for a chip isn’t enough to just claim an animal."
However, others praised him for the rescue effort and wished Rusty all the best in his new home.
One user said: "It’s your dog. You did good. Don’t listen to anyone."
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Another wrote: "I love rusty. You’re a hero. Don’t listen to the haters."
A third added: "Ignore them, you did the right thing welcome home rusty!!"
Some of his followers asked him to make a GoFundMe page so they could donate and help provide for Rusty, but he has refused, urging fans to support his business, Kappan Printing, instead.
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He said: "A lot of people have reached out and been like 'hey I want to donate', 'make a GoFundMe' or an Amazon wishlist and I really appreciate that.
"I can't tell you guys how much, it really means a lot that you want to help me take care of this baby but I just grew up with 'anything I earn I work for' so if you want to support Rusty or me, it would really mean a lot to me.
"I own a small printing company, we do a one shirt minimum order, and we have stickers and window details, graphic design so if you guys support my business, you'll be supporting Rusty."
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