06/16/2026
Rusty… how did you get so lucky to find your way to ABC?
Rusty was found abandoned on the side of a road in Kentucky. Tina from Basset Rescue of Kentuckiana reached out and asked if we could help this senior boy who had clearly been neglected.
Just a few days after arriving at his foster home, Rusty stopped eating and began vomiting. Emergency surgery revealed a serious obstruction in his stomach—a baby onesie he had apparently eaten before leaving Kentucky. The onesie was lodged in the lower part of his stomach and required immediate removal.
As if a $10,000 emergency surgery wasn’t enough, Rusty was also heartworm positive. He arrived with double ear infections, a skin infection, and a long list of medical needs. To put it simply, Rusty was an expensive mess.
But sometimes the best stories begin that way.
The very day Rusty arrived at ABC, one of our volunteers received a Facebook message from a friend named Carly. She had seen a single photo of Rusty and immediately knew she wanted to adopt him.
Carly lives in Canada and works as a canine massage therapist. She travels internationally with agility dogs and their handlers, supporting members of the Canadian World Team as they compete around the globe. She works with some of the most talented, athletic, and highly trained dogs in the world. Through her profession, she knows countless breeders, trainers, and handlers. If Carly wanted a dog, she could have chosen almost any dog she wished.
But she chose Rusty.
Rusty from Kentucky.
Thank you, Carly, for seeing past the medical bills, the neglect, and the challenges. Thank you for seeing the dog underneath it all.
We love you for loving Rusty.
