A Miami-based animal shelter’s volunteers find a “heartbreaking sight” after coming across a bait dog covered in wounds dumped in the middle of nowhere on Sunday, October 20.

The Sunshine Animal Rescue shared the heartbreaking story on TikTok which has since garnered 2.3 million likes and over 10 million views.

According to the animal shelter, they found the bait dog at the Rock Pit, an area known for dumped pets.

“Our hearts shattered as we realized just how alive and thriving dog fighting still is here in South Florida,” they wrote in the caption.

They explained that they routinely come in the area to check for any abandoned animals. In their TikTok post, the animal shelter wrote, “nothing could have prepared us for the horror that we found today”.

“At first, we thought he might be another stray, but then reality hit us hard—he had been used in dog fighting, chewed up from head to toe, his belly and the insides of his legs torn up.”

In the video, the dog can be seen approaching the volunteer’s car, asking for help.

“Despite everything he’s been through, this sweet boy came right up to our car, looking for help—trusting, hoping. It’s unimaginable how after so much abuse, he still believes in kindness,” the animal shelter wrote.

And despite being abandoned with all the wounds in his body, the black dog was still wagging his tail and was as sweet as one can be.

“His body tells a story of pain and cruelty, but his spirit? Still so kind, so gentle.”

@sunshineanimalrescue Today at the rock pit, our volunteers came across a heartbreaking sight. A male pup was wandering, looking lost and broken. At first, we thought he might be another stray, but then reality hit us hard—he had been used in dog fighting, chewed up from head to toe, his belly and the insides of his legs torn up. His body tells a story of pain and cruelty, but his spirit? Still so kind, so gentle. Despite everything he’s been through, this sweet boy came right up to our car, looking for help—trusting, hoping. It’s unimaginable how after so much abuse, he still believes in kindness. We’ve been rescuing animals from this area, a place where unwanted pets are dumped, trying to TNR cats and provide supplies for businesses to care for these forgotten souls. But nothing could have prepared us for this moment. Our hearts shattered as we realized just how alive and thriving dog fighting still is here in South Florida. We are bursting at the seams with rescues, running out of space and resources, but we couldn’t just drive away. Not from him. We need your help more than ever. Please, if this post does anything, let it remind you to never give animals to just anyone. Vet them. Otherwise, this is what happens. He’s suffered so much, but he still has hope. Let’s show him that kindness wins. We can’t do it without you. Donate now to help save him and so many others like him. Link in bio💔😞 #animals #petsofinstagram #rescuedogs #dog #dogsoftiktok #puppies #puppiesofig #adoptdontshop #shelterpets #rescuedanimals #doglover #animalrescue #animallovers #animalcare #doglife #petstagram #animalshelter #adoptme ♬ original sound – xavier

They also shared that the dog was so hungry but so happy to see the volunteers, despite all of the underlying medical issues he had.

“To be failed by humans… but still so sweet and trusting, we don’t deserve dogs,” Sunshine Animal Rescue wrote.

The animal shelter reveals that their volunteers immediately brought the dog to the Town and Country Animal Hospital to get checked and receive treatment.

“Our rescue is small and very over capacity right now, but we were not going to be more humans to fail this sweet boy,” the animal rescue said.

Volunteers decided to name him Hersh, but the Sunshine Animal Rescue wrote, “We think Trooper might be a better final name for this sweet and tough baby.”

After getting checked at the vet, Sunshine Animal Rescue reveals that Trooper is positive for leptospirosis and heartworm. He is also anemic, has hookworm, roundworm, tapeworm, and whipworm.

Furthermore, the animal rescue also reveals that the dog is currently hospitalized and “his life is on the line right now.”

And because of his critical condition, the animal shelter is asking for donations to help him recover and heal.

The animal shelter wrote, “The journey ahead will be difficult, but with your help, we can ensure he gets the care he needs to heal, both physically and emotionally.”

You can help Trooper in his healing journey and other animals at the Sunshine Animal Rescue by making your donation here.

* This article was originally published here