This puppy was found ‘covered in maggots’ and unable to walk (VIDEO)

Lauren Cabrera wasn’t sure if Meatball was going to make it after he was found unable to move and crawling with parasites in a jungle on the island of Guam. But she decided to give him a chance and she’s glad she did. Thanks to the kindhearted woman, Meatball and many other pooches like him found their forever homes, often thousands of miles away from their native Guam.

Rehoming efforts

According to Lauren Cabrera, a 33-year-old mother of two and a lifelong animal lover who now resides on the island of Guam, it is impossible to escape the ‘dog situation’ there.

She explained:

There are sickly dogs on the road or dead on the road...It is heartbreaking.

To help the pooches, Cabrera started to foster the dogs but quickly realized there was not enough demand for them around her and that the best option was to rehome the pets in the mainland US.

She launched theBoonie Flight Project in April 2021 and flew 21 dogs out of the island the same year.

It was during the rescue work that she came across a tiny puppy called Meatball.

Covered in maggots and unable to move

A Boonie Flight Project volunteer was called to help a female dog who had been hit by a car. It soon became clear that the poor animal had just given birth, and the search for her missing litter was organized. Sometime later the rescue team spotted a whimpering puppy, Meatball, in one of Guam's jungles.

The puppy was covered in maggots and unable to use his back legs.

Cabrera commented:

I thought he was in terrible shape, and I didn't know if we had the resources to help him. But the vet said to give him a chance and we are so glad he did.

Thanks to the Boonie Flight Project’s care, within weeks, Meatball learned how to walk, bulked up, and became ‘a total goofball’.

The lucky pooch’s transition can be seen in a heart-warming TikTok video Cabrera shared with her followers. The clip shows him bouncing around before jetting off to start a new life in Massachusetts, US.

Giving dogs a new lease on life

According to the animal lover, she was initially shocked by the number of strays and the overall ‘dog situation’ in Guam but with time got used to it.

She admitted:

Years ago, it used to get me down but I have shifted my focus from heartbroken to helpful.

So far, 400 dogs have been placed in homes in 26 different states across the country.

Cabrera understands that it is impossible to save all the pets, but believes that controlling their population in combination with rehoming will be a game changer for Guam pooches. But as vet care and flights to the mainland US are expensive, she continues fundraising for her vital work.

Sources used:

- Newsweek: 'Rescue Dogs Look Unrecognizable After Devoted Woman Saves Their Lives'

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