Benji was a young dog in South Africa in need of a true friend. His owner kept him tied up with a chain day in and day out, with only a concrete floor as a bed.
He was also very malnourished because his owner usually forgot to leave any food out for him.
Benji quickly became a target for passers-by to throw rocks at, which developed into open wounds.
Luckily, an animal rescue organization based in Cape Town called Sidewalk Specials came to his rescue.
When they first approached the starving animal, they placed an appetizing bowl of food where he could reach it.
Although Benji was scared that the food was some sort of trick that would get him punished, he was too hungry to not take advantage of the feast placed in front of him.
When rescuers were finally able to get hold of Benji, they immediately headed to the veterinarian clinic, where the staff gladly stayed after hours in order to attend to the nearly starved dog.
Rescuers say it was heartbreaking to see how much Benji had suffered at the hands of his cruel and forgetful owner.
It took days of nourishment, along with plenty of warm and loving care, to transform Benji into a happy and healthy dog ready to be adopted by a forever family.
