The young men who discovered this wretched creature saw what they thought was a dark beast moving towards them, with slow, unnatural movements.

The body left sticky marks as it took each step and a strong smell filled the air. Both guys were initially frightened by the image but soon realized what was approaching them: It was a dog!

And soon they made another shocking discovery: the black sticky mass that surrounded the poor animal was tar. Normally tar is used to protect wood or construction work. However, when applied to the skin it is very toxic and can be dangerous.

The two young men were horrified, but at the same time they knew that the dog was suffering and needed help. Fortunately, they managed to track down a police officer who took the dog to local animal rights association, Zoonosis Lanús.

The volunteers of the animal organization were equally shocked: they had never seen anything like it!

They lifted the poor dog into a bathtub and set to work washing away the tar with soap and warm water. But it quickly became clear that this wasn’t going to be an easy job.

The black mess had penetrated everything – water had almost no effect. It all seemed so hopeless.

Myriam Ortellado, Head of Zoonosis Lanús, says:

“We bought all kinds of laundry and care products, hoping something would help. But nothing did. Until someone had the idea to use oil and a spatula.”

It took volunteers five hours to free this poor dog from its coating of tar.

Volunteers decided to name him Petroleo (petroleum). Even though everyone was tired and exhausted, the animal heroes continued to work tirelessly.

Finally, Petróleo fell asleep in the bathtub, he was completely exhausted from his ordeal but the job was done!

But it was still too early to celebrate, because Petróleo was covered in a lot of tar and could have been poisoned by it all. After several troublesome hours he seemed to respond well to treatment and he was soon eating a hearty meal.

Petróleo had an amazing trip and met so caring boys and animal lovers who refused to abandon him, and instead saved his life!

It’s always hard to read about how cruel some people treat animals. Animal welfare organizations such as Zoonosis Lanús are extremely important.

Petróleo is looking for a happy home and new beginnings in a loving environment.

Watch the dog’s amazing transformation during the cleaning process:

We must all do what we can to prevent animals suffering. Even if it’s just to report neglect!

Every animal deserves respect. Really everyone! Share this article if you agree.