A North Carolina man who rescued a starving dog from a thunderstorm has been left devastated after discovering the elderly hound’s frail body is riddled with birdshot and tumors likely caused by cancer.
Justin, who would prefer to keep his full identity private, told Newsweek that he and his partner, Brianna, found the emaciated dog while driving home one rainy night last month in Jackson County, North Carolina. Now affectionately known as “Good Girl,” the dog’s condition was dire—unable to stand on her own and dragging her hind legs.
Justin shared the details of the rescue in a Reddit post on July 23, under the username u/boombopcamYT. The post has since received more than 2,100 upvotes, and widespread praise from viewers moved by the couple’s compassion.
Justin wrote: “I found a very malnourished hound girl (pink bandanna) walking on the street during a thunderstorm. Her collar had a rabies tag, but I was not able to find her owner with it. Brought her home and fed her small meals.”
Justin said his plan had been to nurse the dog back to health and find her a new home, as the couple already have three dogs and as many cats.
“I started adding more food and cooked beef/turkey/chicken to her meals to help her gain weight,” Justin added.
When the couple took her to a veterinarian, blood work showed slightly elevated kidney levels, but nothing alarming. The vet said they could plan surgery in a few weeks to remove visible lipomas—benign fatty tumors—from her face.
But the follow-up appointment brought grim news. Although the dog appeared stronger—able to stand, wag her tail, and even run a little—she had lost a pound. An X-ray revealed two large masses in her lungs, consistent with cancer, and something far more chilling: her body was peppered with birdshot.
“Whoever had her last had shot at her with a shotgun,” Justin wrote.
The vet suggested euthanasia might be necessary within a week. But Justin said he is not rushing the decision.
“As far as my plan with her now, I haven’t set a certain date yet for her to be euthanized and will see how her quality of life is as time goes on,” he said. “I’ll continue to be fighting for her to gain her strength back by providing her nutritious meals and letting her roam the yard with my other dogs.”
The couple have reached out to the vet for X-ray images and heard from an animal oncologist who encouraged them to evaluate the dog’s quality of life before moving forward with euthanasia.
In the meantime, Justin is showering Good Girl with love and care.
“To me, Good Girl has been gaining strength,” he said. “When I first brought her home, she was very weak … Now she’s able to get up on her own most of the time, is no longer dragging her legs—I even saw her run a little with my other dog—and is wagging her tail again.”
Locals told him she might have been an old hunting dog—possibly dumped after aging out of usefulness. One Virginia couple, who saw Justin’s earlier post, had offered to adopt her, noting their 5-acre property and elderly hound. But the cancer diagnosis changed that plan.
Justin said the dog has been unfailingly gentle despite her past trauma.
“She has never shown an ounce of aggression, despite her being shot at,” he added. “She’s very sweet to my dogs, cats, and anyone else she meets.”
While grappling with the dog’s terminal diagnosis, he finds some solace in the support he has received both on and off the internet.
“Many people have said they’re thankful and grateful toward me in giving her a home and trying my best efforts to give her a better quality of living in her final period of life,” he said. “Which is good knowing I am doing the right thing for her, although, in the end, I just wish I could have taken care of her earlier in her life.”
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