One Saturday in central Louisiana, a group of kids playing behind their apartment complex heard faint cries drifting out from the nearby woods. Curious, they wandered into the trees to investigate. That’s when something bright red caught their attention — a collar.
Hidden among the bamboo sat a terrified, underweight brown dog. A heavy chain secured with a padlock was wrapped tightly around his neck, and the other end was fastened to a bamboo stalk. He had no food or water, and shockingly, he was missing an eye.
The children ran to tell an adult, and soon the situation reached local rescuer Keri Bullock Toth.
Because animal control couldn’t send anyone until Monday, Toth and a friend decided to act immediately.
Her friend hiked into the woods first to check on the dog. Even though he was trembling and unsure of her intentions, he never growled or acted aggressive. She gently offered him some food and began working the bamboo stalk back and forth until it finally snapped — freeing the dog from the tree.
Nervous but trusting, the dog allowed her to guide him out of the woods to safety. Later that evening, despite her rescue being completely full and funds being tight, Toth took him in without hesitation.
The next day, she contacted Denise Gutnisky, founder of Mardi Paws, asking if they could help cover his vet care.
“Absolutely,” Gutnisky told The Dodo she immediately replied.
The dog — now named Red Vern — received a full medical evaluation, vaccinations, and treatment for his injured eye, including antibiotics and stitches.
Even with everything he’d been through, Red Vern remained incredibly gentle.
“He was jumpy,” Gutnisky explained. “If you approached from the side with the missing eye, he’d flinch. There’s no doubt he lost it due to trauma.”
Now safe in a foster home, Red Vern is beginning to relax. He quickly decided that laps are his favorite place to rest, and he loves to cuddle so much that it’s nearly impossible to snap a photo of him doing anything else.
“He’s such a snuggle bug,” Gutnisky said. “His hesitation at doorways tells us he probably lived outside his whole life.”
Red Vern will stay with his foster family while he finishes heartworm treatment. After that, his future is already bright — a family has applied to adopt him and is ready to give him a life filled with love, comfort and the safety he’s always deserved.