Neighbor stories Pets of Nextdoor

Neighbors in Dallas Save Veteran’s Injured Dog

Written by ndmulti

It was a typical morning for Angela, a neighbor in Dallas, TX, until she saw a dog get hit by a car on a road outside of her neighborhood.

The dog, Hercules, had escaped from his backyard and was clearly injured. Angela pulled over, watching as cars swerved around him. Eventually, she was able to get close enough to Hercules, who wasn’t moving. He dragged himself closer as soon as he saw her, friendly despite his injuries. 

“It’s been incredible, the response.”

She and a few others who had also pulled over took Hercules to a nearby animal hospital. His vet bills racked up quickly – Hercules has possibly severed his spine – while the hospital contacted Dallas Animal Services and passed out fliers to other veterinarians in hopes of finding Hercules’ owner. It didn’t take long. Hercules’ owner, Hector, immediately found Hercules when he got off of work.

As it turns out, Hector is a veteran and had received Hercules as a present from his family upon returning from Iraq five years ago. Originally meant to help ease him back into civilian life, Hercules had become much more than a pet – Hector credits Hercules for helping him “find his way back to his family,” saying that Hercules is “his four-legged son.” The two have been inseparable.

Touched by his story and wanting to help, Angela posted to her neighborhood’s Nextdoor website about Hercules and Hector – and was blown away by the response. Within a few hours, she had over 70 responses of neighbors offering to donate money for Hercules’ care.

“Everyone in the community has rallied,” says Angela. “It’s been incredible, the response.”

Hector is overwhelmed with gratitude at the outpouring of support.It’s unbelievable,” he says of his neighborhood’s help. “I am at a loss for words. I appreciate all the help I’ve received for Hercules.”

The community has created a GoFundMe to help pay for Hercules’ continued vet bills and rehabilitation. If you’d like to help, visit Herc’s Heroes.

As reported by NBC Dallas and Dallas Morning News. Images courtesy of Dallas Mornings News/Ashley Landis.

Do you have a story about how you have used Nextdoor in your neighborhood? Let us know.

5 Comments

  • Great story. We are battling a loose dog problem in our neighborhood and I was glad to hear this story was a happy one. Luckily, this gifted dog was very well received. So many dogs given as surprise gifts are not “forever” matches and end up discarded. Seems like this pair beat the odds and have an amazing bond. And hopefully the team/Hector figured out how the dog escaped and eliminated the problem. I have learned through conversations on Nextdoor that there are organizations that can assist with fence repair so stories like Hercules’ do not have to end tragically and painfully – as way too many do.

  • I hope he uses some of the donated money to neuter his dog as well. The dog will be less likely to want to roam–after the fence is fixed. There are several low cost spay/neuter places around where it will cost less than $50 to neuter the dog. It will also prevent testicular cancer.

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