Some dogs just don’t have a fair start in life. Due to abandonment, these four-legged animals end up facing the unknown and fighting for their lives in terrible conditions.

Keanu faced the same destiny when he was cruelly dumped in the woods and left there. All alone, with no food and water, he was facing the inevitable fate in freezing weather.

He absolutely hit rock bottom and had completely given up until a pair of kind souls spotted him – and changed his life forever!

Skin And Bones

When Ne La and Adrian first saw Keanu, he was on the very edge. He practically reached the point of no return that day and almost had no chance to survive.

Keanu was lying motionlessly on the forest floor and had no reaction to his rescuers whatsoever. He didn’t even have the strength to get up or respond in any kind of way.

The two contacted 1 Dog At A Time Rescue, who immediately transferred Keanu to their vet, Denisa.

“It took several hours before he started to come through and respond. He could barely lift his head at the beginning,” Jayne, the rescue’s co-founder told We Love Animals.

On his way to the vet, Keanu was lying in a car and putting his trust in humanity. He had no other choice, as his energy was completely gone.

Once they arrived at the clinic, Keanu was immediately put on a drip. Several hours later, he made the first reaction. He slowly opened his eyes and started licking his rescuers’ hand, as his very own personal way of saying: “Thank you!”

The Gentlest Soul

That gentle, kind, first look made everyone in the rescue instantly fall in love with him!

“Everybody that met him just fell in love with him. Just very gentle. Very, very gentle,” said Jayne.

For the first week, Keanu didn’t move at all. His bowl was right by him and he continued eating and drinking until a few days later, his first signs of progress showed!

He managed to get up on his paws and slowly walk a few steps. It was truly a heartwarming moment to see Keanu finally move. And, when he finally made it outside, his recovery took a drastic turn.

Within a few short weeks, Keanu significantly recovered. He started walking for longer periods of time outside, and even made friends. With his furry friend, Elsa, he started to learn how to play and be a dog again.

Still, his absolute favorite activity to do is just lie under a tree and enjoy the moment.

“He is such a gentle boy, and is so relaxed with all our other dogs. He is very much his own person, and loves nothing more than lying outside under a tree and just be,” the rescue wrote on Facebook.

Keanu’s spirit completely came back to him. Everybody could just see in his eyes how happy and grateful he was for getting a second chance at life. And, now he was finally ready to reciprocate all the love he received during his recovery!

“He’s one of those dogs that comes around once in a lifetime. He’s a very special dog,” said Jayne.

Soon enough, he found a loving home and an amazing family.

With his loved ones, he’s now able to display his incredible character to the fullest, and finally enjoy the endless days of adventure with nothing to worry about anymore. After all he has been through, he surely deserves it!