Tourist rescues dying dog she met minutes before flight home

A tourist has managed to rescue a dying stray dog that approached her just minutes before she was due to fly home from a holiday in Peru.

Ursula Vari, from LA, said she named the dog Charlie and sat with him for around 20 minutes before she flew home.


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But she couldn't stop thinking about Charlie, who was in a horrifying state after being abandoned, beaten and even hit by cars while on the streets.

As soon as she got home, Ursula contacted local rescue centres, sending pictures through of Charlie and asking staff to track him down.

Three days later, rescue centre Amazon Cares finally found him. He was suffering with dermatitis, mites, bacterial dermatitis, mange, and severe acute malnutrition.

The centre gave him a medical bath, and vets said he would certainly have died without medical attention.

Speaking to the Dodo, she said he was "a dog on his last legs", adding: "His paws were raw from walking endless miles on the melting concrete, his skin raw, covered with mange that resembled parasitic volcanoes erupting hot lava.

"He mirrored a reptile with scabs covering the majority of his frail body. I swear, I could hear his vacuous wailing stomach. My heart sank as I kneeled down to comfort him. In disbelief that man's best friend would be abandoned to such extent by the man himself.

"I touched his charred skin and looked him in the eyes. "Please help me," he silently pleaded.

"He lifted his left leg and rested it on my knee as a gavel to seal his plea."

Vari raised money online to help pay for Charlie's expenses. Four months after she met him, Vari returned to Peru to pick him up from the rescue centre and take him back to LA.

Ursula said: "When I walked through the gate at the shelter, my little heart pumped so much blood I almost fainted from excitement.

"We only met once, for about 20 minutes, a few months back, but when he saw me, he knew exactly who I was. In front of me was a stunning, strong canine, with so much hair and so much love he almost tipped me over with his kisses."

Back in LA, he now enjoys walks along the beach, cosy snoozes with his new 'girlfriend', Ursula's other rescue dog Gelsemina, and even goes to yoga classes with Ursula.

YouTube users praised Ursula, with comments including: "You're an ANGEL and I wish there were more people like you in this world. So wonderful. So happy to see your story. Thank you for being so kind. "

Another wrote: "Beautiful story - I have made a promise to myself to do the same thing one day...I wish there were more people in the world like you!"

To help more street dogs like Charlie, you can donate here. You can also follow him on Facebook.

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