A small sign on a glass hospital door ended up telling one of the sweetest stories on the internet this week. Shared by @laspca, the viral video follows an anemic Cocker Spaniel fighting for his life while a shelter dog named King donates blood to give him a second chance. As of the time of writing, the heartwarming clip racked up more than 113,000 likes, and it’s easy to see why. However, the story’s “hero”, King, now waits to find his own forever family.
Disclaimer: This story contains visuals of blood. Viewer discretion is advised.
Anemic dog receives life-saving blood transfusion from ‘hero’ shelter dog
The Instagram reel opens with Ricky lying weakly inside a hospital crate with medical tubes attached to his front paw. Meanwhile, a staff member places a paper certificate onto a glass door nearby. The sign proudly names King as a certified hero. This sweet pup sits patiently on the floor, where he just looks happy to help out. Then we see veterinary technicians extract the life-saving blood from him.
The doctors quickly transfer the packets over to Ricky’s enclosure to begin the main transfusion process. And the fresh fluids give the small spaniel an instant burst of energy. He stands up on all fours and drinks from his water bowl. The on-screen text explains that Ricky managed to pull through against all odds and eventually head home.
Later, King gets celebrated with a handful of tasty treats. However, he still has to return to his temporary kennel at the end of the day.
Viewers are completely flooded with emotion and want King to find a home immediately. One popular comment noted that it is always a blocky meatball pup saving the day. Another person added that they would adopt the donor instantly because they are officially blood family, now.
The Louisiana SPCA team shared their pride and a call for adopters online: “Thanks to King and our amazing shelter clinic team, Ricky was able to wag his tail another day. Now, King needs a hero of his own! Come meet and adopt him at our Orleans Campus…”
Ricky is safely back home, enjoying his normal routine with his family. But King is still waiting at the New Orleans shelter for a permanent owner to come scoop him up.
