Ashlyn would not be where she is now if it weren't for him. While everyone assumed they were transporting her to the hospital, her recovery has led rescuers to believe she may have more time than they imagined.

"Her condition crushed me when I brought her up from the airport," Tracy Lander, who has three dogs of her own and has been fostering dogs for the NEHS for two years, told The Dodo. "She had lost 39 pounds and her optimum weight is between 65 and 70 pounds. She came to me wearing a sweater, and when I removed it, I could see every rib."