Duncan, a 12-year-old boy, slid beneath a dumpster and lay down, exhausted and defeated, after wandering into a junkyard one day. One of the employees observed him down there and quickly got him some food and water. The employee could see Duncan was blind and in bad shape, and while her supervisor wanted to notify animal control, she realised he wouldn’t stay long in a public shelter. Instead, she quickly contacted a rescue organisation.

When Hope for Paws received the call about Duncan, she went out to the junkyard to save him. Rescuers offered him more food, but the poor old dog was so confused and disoriented that they realised it was essential to get him out of there as quickly as possible.

Duncan didn’t resist when they wrapped a leash around his neck, and because he was elderly, blind, and sick, he let his rescuers slowly drag him out from beneath the dumpster.

They could see how severely neglected Duncan was once he was released. He wore a rope around his neck, indicating that someone was responsible for him at one point and had let him down.

Duncan let his rescuers pet and love on him in the car on the way to the vet, which may have been the first time he’d experienced affection in years.

“I’m sorry whoever did this to you, I’m so sorry,” Duncan’s rescuers repeatedly told him in a video of his rescue.

Duncan’s rescuers were informed by the vet that, in addition to being blind, he was suffering from exhaustion, a skin illness, ulcers, and two separate tumours. Doctors recommended that Duncan be put down to alleviate his suffering, but his rescuers determined that this was not how Duncan’s life should end. They wanted him to know what it’s like to be loved after so many years of neglect.

Knowing Duncan was a difficult case, Hope for Paws contacted the Frosted Faces Foundation to see if they would take him on, as they specialise in caring for senior dogs. They quickly agreed and placed Duncan in a foster home, and everyone was astounded by how dramatically Duncan transformed once he was in a caring environment.

While Duncan has dementia, it hasn’t stopped him from adjusting to life in foster care and enjoying everything his foster family has to offer.

He enjoys snuggling and hanging out in laundry baskets, and while he may become confused at times, there is always someone there to console him, which is just what he requires. Duncan’s life is uncertain, but no matter what happens, he’s finally loved and given the chance he’s always deserved.

Below is the whole footage of Duncan’s rescue: