A Louisiana animal shelter has melted hearts online by sharing the heroic story of how one of their rescues saved the life of a tiny flea-ridden puppy.
When staff at the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LASPCA) took in the one-month-old pup, named Dragon Fruit, on June 6, they knew instantly just how severe his case was going to be. Fleas were visible all over his white fur, and communications director Rebecca Melanson told Newsweek that he was “severely anemic and malnourished.”
They had to act quickly to help Dragon Fruit, and they knew that the best way of doing that would be to give him a blood transfusion that same day. They knew just the dog for it, as Scout would be their “hero shelter dog” to save the puppy’s life.
Melanson said: “Due to his flea anemia, he was hypothermic and lethargic. So, the best course of action for a puppy this size is oxygen administration, which we did, along with a blood transfusion.
“For blood transfusions, we try to choose a dog who is over 40 pounds and heartworm negative. Luckily Scout fit those two requirements, and he was also a staff favorite.”
Dragon Fruit (left), the 1-month-old puppy at the time, receiving a blood transfusion from Scout (right). Both dogs were fine following the procedure, and Scout received plenty of interest for his heroics.
@laspca / TikTok
Scout, who is thought to be a two-year-old pittie mix, was taken to the LASPCA by local police in May after his owner was arrested. Despite what he’d gone through, he was always happy and joyful, so the staff knew he was just the pup to provide Dragon Fruit with the help he so desperately needed.
Both dogs did amazingly well throughout the process, and Dragon Fruit showed an instant improvement.
“Scout got tons of attention, extra treats, and cuddles for being such a good boy. And Dragon Fruit immediately perked up, and even had an appetite after the transfusion,” Melanson told Newsweek. “Now, he’s about 2 months old and he’s a normal, healthy puppy.”
Following the procedure, the two dogs were able to meet briefly, but Melanson explained that keeping contact to a minimum “is critical” in order to limit the spread of diseases. It’s particularly important for the more vulnerable dogs, including those who are elderly, or unvaccinated, such as Dragon Fruit.
As for Scout, giving the shelter buddy the blood transfusion was one of his final acts at the LASPCA because he has since been adopted. They couldn’t be happier for him to find his forever home, and they hope that Dragon Fruit will find his soon as he would make a great addition to any family.
How Did TikTok React?
On June 27, the LASPCA shared a video on TikTok (@laspca) detailing how Scout had “stepped in to save the day” for little Dragon Fruit. The clip went viral and has already amassed over 5.3 million views and 1.3 million likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Social media users loved seeing one shelter dog helping out another, and it generated plenty more attention for Scout, both online and in the shelter.
Melanson said: “Everyone loved the story. We got some adoption interest, and Scout had tons of meet and greets with potential adopters.”
TikTok users were full of praise for Scout’s heroic role, leading to more than 6,300 comments so far. One comment reads: “I hope Scout realizes even a tiny bit how great he is.”
Another person responded: “I haven’t cried that fast over a TikTok ever in my life.”
While another TikToker wrote: “Fighting tears rn [right now] no lie.”
Correction 07/225/24, 2:45a.m ET: This article was updated to amend the LASPCA acronym.
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