South Carolina Woman Spots A Struggling Puppy And Is Shocked By What’s On His Mouth
It all started in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, when Liz Heatherly was driving with her mom and sister. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something odd on the roadside.
At first, it looked like nothing more than a shadow or maybe some debris. But as she slowed down and focused, her chest tightened.
It was a tiny black puppy, no more than 10 weeks old, barely able to move. He was covered in ticks and fleas, his little body weak and frail.
And then Liz saw the worst part: a plastic zip tie clamped tightly around his mouth. Her heart sank.
Without hesitation, Liz pulled into the nearest driveway, jumped out of the car, and told her mom and sister to come with her.
The frightened pup panicked at the sight of strangers and bolted, scrambling down into a deep drainage ditch about six feet below.
The three of them didn’t think twice. They slid down after him, muddying up their clothes just to get close.
When Liz finally reached him, she carefully freed his mouth from that cruel tie that had been digging into his skin for days.
The little one was safe, but he desperately needed more help. They rushed him to Cleveland Park Animal Hospital, where veterinarian Dr. Bryant Phillips examined him.
The poor pup was in bad shape. He was malnourished, dehydrated, and crawling with parasites.
The vet explained that the zip tie had probably been on for two or three days. The skin on his muzzle was raw, with open sores, and Dr. Phillips warned that the fur around his mouth might never grow back properly.
But for now, he was alive, and that was what mattered most.
Liz wasn’t about to let him go through another hardship. She took him home and named him Norman.
The only thing that worried her was how her rescue dog, Jackson, would react. Jackson had a rough past with other dogs, and Liz wasn’t sure he’d be open to sharing his space.
To her surprise, the opposite happened. From the very first moment, Jackson seemed to understand that Norman needed comfort. The two became fast friends. Liz shared in an interview:
“I’ll never forget this, but when I walked in the backyard and Norman whined in my arms, Jackson jumped up to lick him and let him know it was going to be OK. Jackson loves Norman and it makes my heart so full looking at them playing together.”
Under Liz’s care, Norman began to heal quickly. His wounds closed, his fur slowly grew back, and his spirit returned.
Liz admitted she worried he might have lasting fears, especially about people touching near his mouth, but Norman surprised her. She shared:
“I honestly thought Norman would have trust issues or be afraid to let people touch around his mouth, but he has none of those issues. He is a leaping bundle of black fur that I wouldn’t trade for anything!”
Now, just a couple of weeks later, Norman is thriving. He’s playful, curious, and endlessly energetic. Liz laughed when describing his silly personality:
“Norman is extremely friendly and full of energy. He should have been named ‘Firecracker,’ because that is how he acts. His legs are so long and he trips over them all the time. He’s goofy and loves to play 24/7.”
Liz says she can’t imagine her life without him now. What started as a heartbreaking moment on the side of a country road turned into one of the sweetest blessings she could’ve asked for.
