Little Puppy Found With Mouth Taped Shut Thanks The Man Who Saved Him
“I was awestruck because I didn't think he remembered me” 🤗💕By Mary Schwager
Bob Hoelter wonders if some divine intervention was at work one frigid winter night in Griffith, Indiana, last month — because if he hadn’t decided to walk 2 miles to his local store that evening, things may have turned out a lot differently.
“I usually drive. That night I decided I needed some exercise,” Hoelter told The Dodo.
As Hoelter crossed a bridge, he heard a noise. He stopped. Then he heard it again. It was the saddest, most heartbroken whimper, coming from below.
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“I get my flashlight out because I always carry a flashlight with me,” Hoelter said. “I got to the bottom. I finally see him!”
And there, looking up at Hoelter, was a tiny, shivering, scared puppy. But Hoelter couldn’t believe what he noticed next: The pup’s muzzle was taped shut, wrapped with electrical tape.
“I'm like, ‘Oh, sh*t,” Hoelter said.
Hoelter knew he had to act quickly. Griffith Animal Hospital wasn’t far down the road, and he hoped they were still open.
“I just threw him in my jacket, crawled back up and started hoofing it to the animal hospital,” he said.
And the moment Hoelter burst through the clinic’s door, holding the puppy, is something Griffith Animal Hospital manager Lori Kovacich will never forget.
“I was out of my chair and in the lobby to get him in seconds,” Kovacich told The Dodo.
Horrified, Kovacich grabbed the puppy and raced him back to the veterinary staff. She moved so quickly, she never grabbed Hoelter’s name and number. “I think I kind of had tunnel vision,” she said.
Hoelter, happy the puppy was in good hands, headed back out to his original destination, the store.
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The staff later discovered the pup also had a broken leg, which would require surgery. They believe someone threw him off the bridge and missed the water, and the puppy landed on the ground.
Kovacich, so upset about the puppy’s condition, posted on the animal hospital’s Facebook page: “In my 30 years of working here, I never thought I'd see this … in real life.”
Her post caught the attention of many local residents, including Mary Witting. She and her husband, Doug, are longtime clients of the vet clinic.
The couple recently lost their beloved dog and had sworn they weren’t going to get another anytime soon — until they read about the pup’s sad story.
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While Kovacich and the Wittings were thrilled about Louie’s future, the man who had saved Louie remained a mystery. Kovacich kicked herself for not getting his number.
Then another incredible twist of fate happened: Hoelter’s niece caught the Facebook post about Louie and helped reunite everyone with her uncle.
And on the emotional reunion day, the most excited attendee turned out to be Louie, who recognized his hero.
“I was awestruck because I didn't think he remembered me,” Hoelter said. “They sat him down and he ran right to me.”
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https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/man-rescues-puppy-with-muzzle-taped-shut
= new reply since forum marked as read
I can't really describe how infuriated that kind of thing makes me.
So glad he was rescued. 
This is exactly something that Agent Orange would do.
ferrets for 20 years now. We do love our furkids. 
The man that saved him is a hero.
On the other hand, "people" that do this kind of shit to an animal deserve to be hanged.
Effing SOB.
Thank goodness the dog is all right now.
Thank goodness Mr. Hoelter took that walk. How in the world could anybody do that to a little puppy?
Little Louie now looks like he has a whole lot of hands and arms to hold him and love him forever. And he looks like he is going to get away with chewing things up for his entire life!
And thank you, Catbyte, for going to the trouble of posting all the pictures of the pics too.
I agree with Bayard up thread about the appropriate punishment of the person who did this to the puppy. They're likely to continue such sadistic behavior.
Absolutely flooded with tears.
Thank you, too, like someone before me, for taking the time to provide the photos in the thread, for those of us who needed to see fast that the little one was o.k., and with people who would love him.
