It may be hard to watch this viral video that shows the harsh reality of animal neglect. Harold was skin and bone when he was found wandering the streets in North Oshawa in Ontario, Canada. But now is thriving and just like any other puppy—thanks to his foster carer.
Kayleigh McGovern, a volunteer and team member at Oshawa Animal Services, decided to look after the emaciated dog who was too weak to even walk back in July. She documented his progress and shared a slideshow of images on her TikTok page.
Kathy Pittman-Feltham, the shelter manager told Newsweek: “Harold quickly captured all of our hearts and we were rooting for him to get healthy and find his forever home.”
In the viral video that has 791,800 views, @kayleigh_mcgovern added on-screen text to explain each image. She stated he spent the first three days in bed and he didn’t have the strength to empty his bladder.
She wrote: “We shared many cuddles, watched lots of shows, and most importantly he got lots of rest.”
One image shows Harold’s skeletal body as the on-screen text explains: “This picture is still so jarring to look at. He was examined at the vet for possible causes of his emaciation. The vets concluded the only thing wrong with him was that he was essentially starving to death.”
After a few days of tender love and care, Harold started to feel stronger and became playful. Now four months on, he is just like any other puppy.
Pittman-Feltham told Newsweek: “Kayleigh helped nurse him back to health and he was then adopted by a member of the community who is a second-time adopter from us.
“He is doing phenomenal and is the perfect picture of health.”
Harold’s remarkable transformation has touched the hearts of thousands of TikTok users. But sadly, his situation wasn’t a rare case.
Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.
Pittman-Feltham told Newsweek: “We see many sad cases come through our doors and the team is always excited to be a part of the next chapter in their story as most times we don’t have any information on their past.
“We are hoping Harold’s story shines a light on the many cases across the rescue world that need our help.
“Fostering saves lives and Harold is a perfect example of that!“
Man is horrified by what he found inside a bag of broccoli He Purchased from an Aldi
A surprising and unsettling incident occurred when Neville Linton, a 63-year-old man from West Midlands, England, discovered a snake in a bag of broccoli he had purchased from Aldi. This unexpected encounter left him frightened, particularly because he had a fear of snakes.
Linton, who works in industrial cleaning, immediately sought help from his relatives, who assisted in safely removing the snake from his kitchen. He expressed his relief that the snake hadn’t been left loose in the house, as it posed a risk to the vulnerable individuals living with him, including his disabled son and mother-in-law.
After identifying the snake, Linton and his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, 57, trapped it in a plastic container and returned it to Aldi. Although he received some compensation, Linton believes the situation should warrant more due to the potential risks it posed to his family and the emotional impact it had on him.
Aldi responded by stating that this was an isolated incident and that their supplier has robust processes in place to prevent such issues. They apologized to Mr. Linton for not meeting their usual high standards.
The snake found in the broccoli was identified as a young ladder snake, according to Linton’s son, Donovan, 41. Although they can look intimidating, ladder snakes are not venomous and are commonly found in various European regions. They primarily feed on rodents, birds, spiders, lizards, and insects, making them non-threatening to humans. The snake has been relocated to the Dudley Zoo.
However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J. R. Allain disagreed with the identification, suggesting that the snake was a viperine water snake, which is also non-dangerous to humans. He explained that these snakes do not bite humans as a defense mechanism and are considered non-venomous. He theorized that the snake likely ended up in the broccoli due to agricultural equipment scooping it up while it was moving through a field.
Allain emphasized the need to educate the public about these species to reduce fear and misunderstanding.
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