In Jefferson County, Missouri, a couple of Good Samaritans gasped when they were approached by what appeared to be a dog. The wrinkly animal was nearly hairless and covered head to tail in scars and scabs.
The Good Samaritans made it their mission to help and arranged transport to Stray Rescue of St. Louis. When Todd Whiteaker arrived and opened his car door to the pup, the dog didn’t hesitate.
“He immediately jumped over me in the driver’s seat and laid down next to me in the passenger’s seat,” Whiteaker wrote on Facebook.
“Because the infection was so bad, he needed antibiotics and medicated baths,” Natalie Thomson, chief communications officer for Stray Rescue of St. Louis, told The Dodo. “He was so scared during his first bath that he cried out and howled. It broke our hearts, but we knew it would help him feel better.”
Rescuers named the unusual-looking dog Lycan, an abbreviation of lycanthrope, or werewolf. Lycan remained isolated for two weeks while he was contagious and receiving treatment, but that didn’t stop him from demanding the affection he’d so clearly missed.
While Lycan worked on potty training and getting over some separation anxiety, Whiteaker discovered that the once-bald dog loved sunbathing and going for car rides. But, most of all, Lycan loves to snuggle up as close as he can to his foster dad.
Lycan’s fur grew in thick and fluffy, revealing that he was no werewolf — but a blonde husky.
Three months after his rescue, Lycan looks and acts like a whole new dog. He’s attended several adoption events but has yet to meet his perfect forever family. For Lycan, the right match is worth the wait — and his rescue and foster dad are going to make sure he finds it.