He was so badly hurt that nobody could adopt him. When he eats his first warm meal, my heart broke.

Rudy was one of millions of pups that find their way into shelters every year. But this abused dog had suffered so much inexplicable horror that he couldn’t even be adopted out to the public.

Severe beatings, a broken hip, eye and ear infections, mange… Rudy was in a pitiful state, and with no hope in sight, was scheduled to be put down, writes ilovemydogsomuch.

Miraculously, the pup was saved from death row with only hours to spare by a local rescue group called Houston Street Dogs. Watching his tail wag when he eats his first decent meal and gets a little love is enough to reduce any dog lover to tears.

But Rudy’s long journey back to health and peace wasn’t over. For months, he underwent extensive treatment, injections, and medications to cure him of his various ailments.

With love and care, Rudy transformed into a lovably , with a healthy coat, a big smile on his face and a tail ready to wag. But one major problem remained. Rudy needed a complete hip replacement if he was ever to be a normal pup again. His broken hip caused him serious pain and kept him from walking and running and playing as he normally would.

Houston Street Dogs started a YouCaring fundraising campaign to raise the funds to get Rudy the money he needed for the operation… and the AWESOME news is that they have already surpassed their goal! We hope to see Rudy running and playing with a new hip soon!