Bitch kept half-dead on a chain: When she is finally given love, she is as good as new

Thailand - Alba's life was like a nightmare until she was rescued: the dog was only kept to guard a property, but received no thanks at all. When she was found, she was tied to a short iron chain and was just skin and bones. And although she was never allowed to learn what love means, she shows the greatest longing for it.

Influencer Niall Harbison has dedicated his life to rescuing street dogs. So when someone told him about Alba, he didn't hesitate for a second and made his way to her.

It was clear at first glance that the dog was the epitome of neglect: "Honestly, it was a miracle that she was still alive," says the Instagram page of "Happy Doggo", an organization founded by Harbison.

Although she actually had no strength left, Alba initially barked and growled at the strangers. But when she realized that they only wanted to do her good, she wagged her tail in a friendly manner and allowed herself to be touched.

In addition to her worrying weight, Alba was also struggling with heartworms, anemia, blood parasites and weak organs. Her frail body was also covered in ticks and fleas.

After a visit to the vet, animal rights activist Harbison decided to take her home as she was "too sick" to stay at his organization's shelter.

"I wasn't sure if she would survive the first day," he writes on Instagram. "But now she's made it 2.5 days and is responding to treatments." However, Alba is not out of the woods yet. "I still don't know if there will be a happy ending. She is very, very ill."

But everything has already changed for the dog. Because she is finally receiving the love and affection she has been waiting for all her life. "To be honest, nobody knows how she made it this far in the first place, but her tail keeps wagging no matter what," says her rescuer happily.

He was also the one who gave the animal its melodious name. "It means dawn in Spanish and sunrise in Italian." Harbison hopes that the dog will be able to see the sun rise many more times in the future.

"Little Alba is the gentlest and most fragile soul," he writes. "She didn't have long to live and I think we arrived just in time..."

In addition to the vet, Harbison and the "Happy Doggo" team, another angel is caring for Alba. Hank, another rescued dog who lives with Niall Harbison, has not left the dog's side since she arrived. He keeps a "loving eye on her", says the animal rights activist.

And he adds: "It's still a delicate matter, but you can see from her face that she's starting to have hope." Even if he and his team don't know what the next few days and hours will bring for Alba, the four-legged friend will at least now be in a safe and comfortable environment.