Once in a while, we come across a story that is just so gosh-darned tear jerking that it needs no real introduction. Take today’s, for instance: A family who had apparently fallen on hard times abruptly moved away from their rented home, leaving behind various belongings, including one injured and terrified puppy.

Last December, in the dead of Detroit’s infamously rough winter, a Good Samaritan came upon an awful sight—an abandoned pit bull-lab mix starved and fighting for his life outside of an empty home.

The scared pup was sitting on a beat-up recliner amid left-behind belongings that one could only assume belonged to his former owners. Terri Looby, a volunteer with D.A.W.G. (Detroit Animal Welfare Group) discovered the dog, and couldn’t believe that someone could be so cruel as to leave him in such a dangerous situation.

She told local news station CBS Detroit that, when she first happened upon the dying animal, the poor dog was “curled up as tight as he could get.”

With the help of some good, old-fashioned food bribery—chicken patties in this case—Looby was able to safely transport the mutt to an animal hospital where vets quickly discovered how bad off the pooch really was.

On top of suffering from severe malnutrition, the year and a half-old was also dealing with an incredibly painful injury—a broken femur.

Luckily, Ollie-Loo (they sure did give him a cute name!) was given the best care around and was quickly placed in foster care where he was showered with tons of love and attention. He even made some new canine friends in the form of three pugs. How cool is that?!

Now, we know you’re most likely taking a BIG sigh of relief right about now—we were so happy to hear that Ollie-Loo had a happy ending, too, but since being rescued, his life has gotten even better!

You see, after recovering with his foster family, Ollie-Loo actually found a “forever family” in his new owner, Art. The two look like they practically belong together!

Even though this tale has such a satisfying conclusion, it’s important to note that, without the volunteers from organizations like D.A.W.G., so many animals like Ollie-Loo would continue to suffer in silence.

And, though they do their best to act as advocates for all sorts of abandoned creatures out there, sometimes, simply nothing can be done to bring justice to the sick people who commit these offenses. In Ollie-Loo’s case it seems that the former owners have been impossible to track down since being evicted from their home.

To see Ollie-Loo’s heartwarming transformation for yourself, be sure to click on the video below. We’re so happy that this dog finally has the loving home that he deserves!

What do you think of Ollie-Loo’s journey? Have you ever rescued a dog from similar circumstances? What do you think should happen to his former owners? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!