The Athens-Limestone Animal Shelter is near capacity, but two dogs in particular are waiting for new forever homes after being rescued by community members and Athens Police. One is in need of additional community support to get him ready for adoption.

The older of the canines, believed to be around 7 years old, was brought to the shelter Aug. 18. The shelter had already received an “overwhelming amount of animals” in just two hours, and they had temporarily closed their doors to new animals as a result.

In a post to Facebook that begins with a warning for graphic content, the shelter team said their hearts sank when Athens animal control officers arrived with an emergency situation.

“We quickly ran to the truck to find this helpless soul,” the post reads. “We were informed by the officer that the dog showed up at someone’s house with a cable embedded in his neck.”

There was no collar, but it was clear that in addition to injury, the dog had a “kickball-sized mass on his neck” and “smelled of death, infection and blood.”

“We quickly rushed him to the clinic, where they began helping him immediately,” the post reads.

They named the dog Chance, hoping that his arrival at the shelter will be just the start of his new chance at life. It’s unknown who owned Chance or put him in such a situation. As of Tuesday, Chance had undergone two surgeries and been placed on antibiotics to deal with “massive infection,” according to the shelter.

In the meantime, a fundraiser has been set up to cover Chance’s medical costs. Since his arrival, more than $4,200 has been raised, but with no idea how many more surgeries or other treatments may be needed before he can be rescued, the shelter is asking anyone who can to contribute or share Chance’s story.

An update on Chance was posted Monday to the shelter’s Facebook page, including a video of the much happier dog wagging his tail as he waited for someone to pet him.

“His knot on his neck is almost completely gone, and he actually is starting to act like a normal dog,” the post reads. “A huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone that donated to his care. … Keep the good vibes and prayers coming for this boy. He has been through a lot and still has a ways to go.”

Hacks

A few days after Chance’s rescue, another resident came upon a dog in Athens in need of help. Fortunately, the 1-year-old terrier mix now known as Hacks was found shortly after he was left tied to a stop sign at the corner of McClellan and Clinton streets.

Vicke Gatlin said she was on her way home from exercising with a friend and just happened to take that route home. When she saw the dog, she wasn’t sure if it was aggressive, so she called Athens Police and waited in her car with her emergency flashers on until an officer arrived.

“I stayed there talking to the dog until (Officer) Jason Threet got there,” Gatlin said. “… When Jason approached him, I could see right away he was friendly. I had a little bit of water left from exercising, so I gave it to him.”

Threet said the dog looked healthy, as if it hadn’t been at the intersection long.

“Somebody was just out walking him and was like, ‘Can’t handle ya, see you later,'” he said, later adding Hacks wasn’t even tied well to the stop sign. It was “like someone was just gonna tie it like they were just going to run into the store, but apparently nobody came back and, as far as I know, nobody has called and asked APD about it.”

He and Gatlin briefly discussed one of them keeping the dog, but they were in the same situation — no matter how much they wanted to, they each already had pets and couldn’t responsibly take on another.

So, Threet put Hacks in his cruiser and drove him to the shelter. The shelter shared photos of Hacks to their Facebook page, and Gatlin hopes someone will be able to provide a home for the little guy.

“He deserves a good home,” she said. “He wasn’t aggressive at all, and he was so excited for Jason to put his hands on him, because he knew he was going to be untied from the stop sign. It was heartbreaking.”

They each said it was the first time they’d seen a dog like that.

“It just bothers me that someone just gave up and was like, ‘I’m done,'” Threet said. “I don’t know how you do it. I get too attached.”

Gatlin said she hopes anyone who sees a case of pet abandonment or animal abuse follows her example and contacts local law enforcement or animal control to help. Athens has a zero-tethering policy. Pet owners can contact nonprofit organizations like North Alabama Animal Warriors for help getting dog houses, food and kennels.

Visit limestonepets.org or bit.ly/FriendsofALAS to learn more about the Athens-Limestone Animal Shelter and the pets at the shelter.