Loyal Dog Waits For Days Watching Over Her Injured Friend

It was an unusually bitter, cold day when Leslie Ysuhuaylas made a routine stop to a common dumping ground for unwanted pets. The area is just south of the pristine downtown area of Dallas, Texas, and only 15 minutes away from Dowdy's Ferry - an area plagued with stray dogs.

The dog was so silent and still that Ysuhualyas might have missed him if he hadn't been sitting in an empty crate she had left out in the area.

He was frozen and injured, with a deep gash on his leg and swelling in his head, and it was clear to Ysuhuaylas that the dog had no hope or will to live left. Ysuhuaylas edged closer to the animal, who had wedged his body into the small blanketed box for some kind of warmth in the 20-degree weather.

"I realized he could barely move his body. All he did was raise his head a little. He had completely given up," Ysuhuaylas told The Dodo.

Ysuhuaylas and volunteers from The Underdog Project had been feeding stray animals in the area for a while, and knew that the dog - now named Benny - had been on the streets for weeks. After Ysuhuaylas spotted Benny, a Sharpei mix thought to be around 2 years old, volunteers managed to get a slip lead on him and carry him to the car before transporting him to an emergency vet to be treated. It was then that they could see just how deep the gash on his leg was - down to the bone.

While this was happening, Ysuhuaylas noticed another dog watching the scene unfold. It turned out that Benny had a friend who had been watching over him. The roughly 1-year-old chocolate Labrador, now known as Betty, "watched everything from afar, not leaving the area, just staring at her friend," Ysuhuaylas said. Both dogs were ready to be rescued.

The rescuers went back and were able to get Betty into the car just 20 minutes after rushing Benny to the emergency vet.

Once the dogs were safely taken into possession, Ysuhuaylas reached out to Rescue Dogs Rock NYC (RDRNYC), an organization known for taking on the most destitute cases, for help. The group agreed to take on not only Benny, but Betty as well. "We don't leave dogs behind, ever," Stacey Silverstein, cofounder of RDRNYC, told The Dodo.

"Our hearts break in [two] thinking about Benny, day after day, night after night in the freezing cold, in pain, living in this box," wrote the group on its Facebook page. "Benny needs all our prayers and positive thoughts."

Benny was in critical condition at the vet, but is now staying with a temporary foster as his leg heals. Medical staff performed X-rays and blood work, and Benny was on an IV for dehydration, but the cause of his head swelling is still unknown. However, he has started to show a very sweet and loving personality. "Benny is still friendly, loving, loves toys, and doesn't mind being touched and cleaned up. He's a regular dog," Ysuhuaylas told The Dodo.

"We plan to bring Benny and Betty up to New York as soon as they are able to travel so that they can be adopted," Silverstein said. Betty has been very frightened and rescuers don't feel she is safe to travel yet.

For now, Benny and Betty continue to need everyone's good thoughts and well wishes. Rescue Dogs Rock NYC also needs help with Benny's medical bills, which have already totaled up to nearly $2300 for one night at the emergency vet. Donations can be made via its website, or follow the group on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with Benny's and Betty's recovery.