Overweight Chihuahua Abandoned on New Jersey Highway Is Rescued, Taken in by Loving Foster Home

Morgan Smith
·3 min read

Stanley has a new "leash" on life!

An overweight chihuahua who was found abandoned in a locked crate alongside a New Jersey highway has found a loving foster family and is awaiting adoption.

Stanley, who is about 8 years old and weighs 21 pounds (twice more than a chihuahua should weigh), was "disabled and completely helpless" when he was found on the side of Route 80 a few weeks back, according to a Facebook post by the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge.

He was taken in by local animal control before the shelter picked him up and placed him in a loving foster home, where he’s now recovering.

“All four of his legs are so badly deformed that Stanley is unable to walk,” their post acknowledges.

Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge/Instagram

Stanley is currently living with a foster mom who has a history of taking care of disabled and elderly animals, Megan Brinster, executive director of Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, told CNN.

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The pair have quickly bonded, and the dog's foster parent described Stanley as "loving and affectionate." Once he is healthier, he will be available for adoption.

Between a new low-fat diet and veterinary care, Stanley is making strides toward his weight loss goal, the shelter noted in a recent Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

‼️Stanley Update‼️ We can’t say this enough: THANK YOU. Stanley is now being loved and cared for in his foster home, and his smile tells his story. Between his dietary and veterinary care, Stanley is already seeing progress in his weight loss, and his team fully expects him to lose a significant amount of weight in the coming weeks. But that’s not all! Right now, Stanley has a temporary mobility device helping him roam around until he gets his own set of wheels. As his weight decreases, his mobility will certainly improve, though we will wait to see just how much. Stanley’s case was unusual. At RBARI, we are often exposed to the cruelty these animals have had to bear. Very rarely though, do we see a case where someone took the time to feed the animal, but neglect its many other needs. It’s a heart breaking reminder that animal abuse comes in many forms. As with any of our unusual cases, however, we’ve always proceeded knowing we had our community behind us. Stanley’s case was no different, and the outpouring of love has made us speechless. At RBARI, we never look the other way. The underdog always deserves a chance. Just like Reese, or Marty, our animals may join your family, but they never leave ours. Thank you for giving Stanley this second chance at a happy life.

A post shared by Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (@rbarishelter) on May 16, 2020 at 4:10pm PDT

Photos shared by the shelter show the chihuahua smiling and resting outside in the sunshine.

The Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge is currently raising money to purchase a wheelchair for Stanley so he can comfortably move around.

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"The outpouring of love has made us speechless," they wrote on Instagram. "The underdog always deserves a chance."