Benny Was Found With Rocks in His Stomach. You Can Help Him Survive.
Benny’s Adoption Update:
Great news: Benny has been adopted!
And the best part? The Good Samaritan who found him, and his wife who rushed him to a veterinary team, are now his forever family.
This is Eddie.
Before the sun came up one morning, Eddie was at work when he spotted a frail dog stumbling alone in the dark. Benny began following him, refusing to leave his side. He was painfully thin, weak, and dehydrated.
Eddie called his wife, who immediately took him to a local veterinary hospital to check for a microchip, but there wasn’t one. Then, Benny was brought to The Animal Foundation for medical care.
During emergency surgery, doctors removed rocks, a broken plastic fork, and a sausage wrapper from his stomach.
Thanks to everyone who donated to our CARE Fund, Benny received the lifesaving treatment he desperately needed. The CARE Fund supports severely injured and sick animals at The Animal Foundation all year long. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Now Benny is safe. He is loved. He will run, play, and be happy, just like every dog should.
Thank you for helping us give Benny the second chance he deserved.
Benny’s Surgery Update: Rocks, a Fork, and a Second Chance
After sharing Benny’s story — the starving dog found with rocks in his stomach — we promised to keep you updated.
Today, we finally have hopeful news.
What Our Veterinary Team Discovered
Benny underwent emergency surgery. Because the rocks weren’t moving on their own, there was a serious risk of a life-threatening blockage. The only safe option was to carefully open his stomach and remove them.
But during surgery, doctors discovered it wasn’t just rocks.
They also found a plastic fork and a sausage wrapper.
Our team carefully removed every foreign object and thoroughly examined his intestinal tract to ensure nothing else was hidden or at risk of causing further damage. The procedure was delicate and serious, but Benny handled it like the fighter he is.
The Moment That Meant Everything
After surgery, Benny was closely monitored as he recovered, and today, for the first time, we saw him eat.
Our team discovered he loves squeeze cheese — he scarfs it down like it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten.
Benny will continue to receive supportive care, pain management, and close monitoring as his incision heals. He still has weight to gain and strength to rebuild, but he is finally on the path toward recovery.
For the first time in a long time, he doesn’t have to fight for scraps to survive.
Thank You for Saving Him
We cannot say this enough: thank you.
Every donation made toward Benny’s care helped make this lifesaving surgery possible. Your generosity allowed our veterinary team to act quickly and give him the second chance he deserves.
Any unused funds raised for Benny, if there are any, will remain in our CARE Fund — a restricted fund dedicated to shelter animals who require urgent, extreme, or lifesaving medical treatment. That means your support doesn’t just help Benny. It helps the next animal who arrives in crisis.
Because there will always be another Benny.
Benny’s Original Story
Early one morning in a Las Vegas neighborhood, a Good Samaritan spots a frail dog stumbling through the darkness all alone. Benny begins following him, refusing to leave his side. He is painfully thin, weak, and dehydrated.
The Good Samaritan’s wife immediately rushes Benny to a local veterinary hospital to be scanned for a microchip — but there isn’t one. Benny is then brought to The Animal Foundation, vomiting and suffering from severe diarrhea.
At just 33 pounds, every rib shows through his body. His fur and ears are filthy. He is starving and malnourished and won’t eat at the shelter.
Then X-rays revealed the heartbreaking problem:
Benny has rocks in his stomach.
Most likely out of desperation and hunger, this sweet boy had eaten stones. Now he needs emergency surgery to remove them. Without it, he won’t survive.
The veterinary team will need to surgically open his stomach to remove the rocks. They aren’t moving on their own, and if they do move, they could cause a blockage, which could be fatal.
During surgery, the doctors will also make sure there’s nothing else stuck in his intestinal tract that may not have appeared on the X-rays. This is a serious procedure and comes with risks, including infection and sepsis. However, it’s much riskier to do nothing.
After surgery, he will require 3 to 5 days of close monitoring and supportive care to make sure he is healing properly.
We are doing everything we can to help Benny. But we can’t do this without you. His medical care will be costly, and every dollar matters. Every dollar you donate to Benny will go directly to our CARE Fund. This restricted fund provides critical medical care for the most severely injured and sick animals at The Animal Foundation.
Benny deserves a chance to feel safe and loved. He deserves to be happy and run and play like every dog should. Please help us give Benny the second chance he desperately needs. You can donate to Benny’s CARE using the form below.