June 17 was like any other Sunday for Debbie Manharth. Temperatures would be scorching by mid morning, and another day would pass, yet again, without rain. Manharth walked outside to take in the last bit of cool breeze before the heat crashed down, and that's when she found Pappa Herks on her driveway abandoned, starving, and on the brink of death.
"He had flies in his ears," Manharth said. "I think he'd been tossed from a car."
Possibly still in shock Pappa Herks couldn't communicate with Manharth at first, so she called him Buddy. She gave him food and medicine for his ears.
"We couldn't keep him," Manharth said. "Ozzy, our pug, was tolerant but at the end of his rope."
Once immediate care was given, Manharth used social media to try to find Pappa Herks a good home. She posted his picture on Facebook and soon got a response.
Pappa Herks was taken to a foster home, but after a few days it was clear the owner's other dogs weren't in the mood for another sibling. Pappa Herks was soon taken back to Manharth, and the search for a home continued.
"I just didn't want to take him to the pound," Manharth said. "He's so sweet, and I knew they'd kill him. He's got that disability."
Pappa Herks has trouble controlling his back legs, forcing the beefy dog to walk with a swagger that closely resembles that of someone who's intoxicated.
Despite the quirky swagger and sweet disposition, weeks passed and no one came to Pappa Herks's rescue. No one that is except Jonnette Lynn, animal crusader extraordinaire.
"I know you can't save 'em all," Lynn said. "There was just something about his face that haunted me. It pulled at my heart strings."
Once her heart strings had been pulled, Lynn set out to pull other strings, as well. She blasted social media with status updates and called her crusade "Team Buddy."
Several like-minded individuals eagerly joined Team Buddy including Forever Yours, a dog rescue organization that sponsors dogs for outreach programs.
Once a rescue organization got involved and Pappa Herks took a trip to the doctor (thanks to Manharth), Lynn called in one last favor to the Mayor of Mooseville.
"I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't do everything I could to help rescue that dog," Lynn said. "Girl, I hated to do it, but it had to be done."
The Mayor said she was skeptical when she got roped in.
"Jonnette invited me over for drinks," the Mayor recalls. "I got settled in and then BAM, she showed me the pictures. I'd be an ass if I didn't at least agree to meet the guy."
The Mayor met Pappa Herks at Manharth's home on Saturday, and after a few moments and a quick chat with Manharth, the Mayor agreed to foster Pappa Herks.
"He smelled. He was filthy. He couldn't hold up his back legs, and it looked like most of his life was spent getting the shit beat out of him," the Mayor said. "What choice did I have?"
After a bath and a brush, a hot meal, and a good night's sleep, Pappa Herks finally started communicating.
"He's being treated by my personal physician, and he's gonna be okay," the Mayor said. "But his story isn't pretty. Down right cruel and pathetic, if you ask me."
When asked for an interview with Pappa Herks, the Mayor was somewhat protective.
"It's his story. He'll tell it when he's ready. Right now, he needs to focus on recovery and rehabilitation."
When asked how long Pappa Herks would be staying at the Mayor's mansion, the Mayor smiled.
"Pappa Herks is safe now, and I will do everything in my power to make sure he has a good home, but wouldn't it be a great Cinderella story if that home ended up a mansion?"
Possibly still in shock Pappa Herks couldn't communicate with Manharth at first, so she called him Buddy. She gave him food and medicine for his ears.
"We couldn't keep him," Manharth said. "Ozzy, our pug, was tolerant but at the end of his rope."
Once immediate care was given, Manharth used social media to try to find Pappa Herks a good home. She posted his picture on Facebook and soon got a response.
Pappa Herks was taken to a foster home, but after a few days it was clear the owner's other dogs weren't in the mood for another sibling. Pappa Herks was soon taken back to Manharth, and the search for a home continued.
"I just didn't want to take him to the pound," Manharth said. "He's so sweet, and I knew they'd kill him. He's got that disability."
Pappa Herks has trouble controlling his back legs, forcing the beefy dog to walk with a swagger that closely resembles that of someone who's intoxicated.
Despite the quirky swagger and sweet disposition, weeks passed and no one came to Pappa Herks's rescue. No one that is except Jonnette Lynn, animal crusader extraordinaire.
"I know you can't save 'em all," Lynn said. "There was just something about his face that haunted me. It pulled at my heart strings."
Once her heart strings had been pulled, Lynn set out to pull other strings, as well. She blasted social media with status updates and called her crusade "Team Buddy."
Several like-minded individuals eagerly joined Team Buddy including Forever Yours, a dog rescue organization that sponsors dogs for outreach programs.
Once a rescue organization got involved and Pappa Herks took a trip to the doctor (thanks to Manharth), Lynn called in one last favor to the Mayor of Mooseville.
"I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't do everything I could to help rescue that dog," Lynn said. "Girl, I hated to do it, but it had to be done."
The Mayor said she was skeptical when she got roped in.
"Jonnette invited me over for drinks," the Mayor recalls. "I got settled in and then BAM, she showed me the pictures. I'd be an ass if I didn't at least agree to meet the guy."
The Mayor met Pappa Herks at Manharth's home on Saturday, and after a few moments and a quick chat with Manharth, the Mayor agreed to foster Pappa Herks.
"He smelled. He was filthy. He couldn't hold up his back legs, and it looked like most of his life was spent getting the shit beat out of him," the Mayor said. "What choice did I have?"
After a bath and a brush, a hot meal, and a good night's sleep, Pappa Herks finally started communicating.
"He's being treated by my personal physician, and he's gonna be okay," the Mayor said. "But his story isn't pretty. Down right cruel and pathetic, if you ask me."
When asked for an interview with Pappa Herks, the Mayor was somewhat protective.
"It's his story. He'll tell it when he's ready. Right now, he needs to focus on recovery and rehabilitation."
When asked how long Pappa Herks would be staying at the Mayor's mansion, the Mayor smiled.
"Pappa Herks is safe now, and I will do everything in my power to make sure he has a good home, but wouldn't it be a great Cinderella story if that home ended up a mansion?"
