Dog in the US found living in dirt after family moved away

A heartbreaking photo of dog lying in a dirt reveals an emotional story of how an abandoned pet was rescued. Photo / Instagram

A heartbreaking photo of dog lying in a dirt reveals an emotional story of how an abandoned pet was rescued.

The 8-year-old golden Labrador's US family had moved away and left him behind.

With nowhere to go, the dog, known as Larry, made himself at home across the street from his previous house at the parking lot of a landscaping business.

The poor dog survived lying in dirt for months as passing truckies would give him something to eat or drink.

One truck driver realised that no one was coming back for him, so he made an Instagram account to help the abandoned dog.

"So today I asked the security guard about him and he told me that he was abandoned by someone that moved out of a house across the street. Now he lives on the street," he wrote on Instagram.

"If you know anyone that can help him please tag them."

According to The Dodo, the Instagram post caught the attention of Sasha Abelson, president of Love Leo Rescue, who reached out to local volunteers to help Larry.

"As soon as we saw [the posts] we said, 'Just get the dog to us, we'll take care of the rest,'" Abelson told The Dodo.

Volunteers were able to lure Larry into their car, and drove him two hours to Los Angeles.

Though the dog had sad eyes, he still wagged his tail in excitement for his rescuers.

After looking at him, volunteers noticed the old dog's stomach was bloated, despite having no regular access to food or water for months. He was also missing patches of hair on his legs and was having difficulty walking.

A trip to the vet the next day revealed Larry was suffering from Cushing's disease, a condition caused by a benign tumour on the pituitary gland.

Larry was sick and grumpy, but it didn't stop his rescuers from keeping their hope for the sweet dog.

He lived at the vets for a month and a half while adjusting to his medication.

"In that time he was kind of sad, and a little depressed and reactive with other dogs, so we weren't sure if he could live with another dog safely," Abelson said.

However, as his tumour shrank his true personality came out and all Larry wanted to do was play with other dogs.

They eventually moved him to a doggy day care while trying to find his forever home — but he still had a few things going against him.

"Not everyone wants a dog with an automatic expense attached," Abelson said.

"And he doesn't like being alone, but he's been abandoned, so we can't really blame him for that."

Larry has gone to three forever homes that have unfortunately sent him back because of a string of bad luck.

"He's been so resilient, doesn't hold a grudge, and still loves people even though they've let him down in the past," Abelson said.

"He's just a happy, grateful dog. He just wants someone to take care of him and be there for him."

Whenever Larry meets a new person, he knows exactly what he wants.

"He'll literally push up against you and ask for his head to be petted and his ears to be scratched," Abelson said. "He's not pushy, but he's very affectionate."

Despite the dog's age, he has lots of energy and enjoys going on walks. But the thing that sets Larry apart from other dogs is his capacity to forgive and heal, noted Abelson.

"Some dogs have a bad experience or are abandoned and it scars them for the rest of their lives," she said, "but with him — he's just so sweet, he needs someone to realise that."

"It's a little bit like a Cinderella looking for her slipper," Abelson added. "We know they're out there and we're willing to wait for the perfect person."