Meet "Papudinho," a little dog who has had incredible luck, both good and bad. A year ago, he was little more than a walking skeleton. Actually, he was a  limping skeleton: Papudinho had lost his right front leg due to an earlier injury. Living in a small, remote village in the Brazilian Amazon, his chances of ever receiving proper nutrition or veterinary care were next to none.

And yet, thanks to a chance meeting, a letter and an incredible journey, this sweet little dog has been transformed into a

BEFORE...

wiggly, happy picture of health. WSPA's Regional Manager for Brazil takes over the story from here:

"I was just about to set off on another journey with WSPA's Amazon Ark, a humane education project that brings the concept of animal welfare to people living in the Amazon region of Brazil. Just before leaving, I received a letter from Mrs. Sheila Barry, one of WSPA's supporters in the United Kingdom. While on vacation, Mrs. Barry had traveled through a small Amazonian village called Boca da Valeria. She wrote to me looking for help for a 'painfully thin dog with only three legs' that she had seen there.

I have to confess, I did not hold out much hope and had never heard of Boca da Valeria. Still, I took Sheila's letter with me and learned that this very village was not far from where we were having our workshop. This was such an amazing coincidence that our team decided to take a detour past the village.

After spending hours looking around, I had almost given up hope. Then, suddenly, I spotted a skin-and-bones three-legged white dog. This had to be the one. I could hardly believe my luck.

AFTER!! Papudinho happily poses with WSPA's Elizabeth MacGregor.

Dr. Stella Lazzarini, a veterinarian and one of the Amazon Ark team, examined him and found him to be in better health than he looked.

We decided that the best thing would be for Papudinho to stay with his owners. Though they cared for him, they simply did not have the means to feed him well. In this poverty-stricken part of Brazil, veterinary care is almost unheard of and pet supply shops to do not exist!

We arranged for an urgent supply of enough dog food to feed Papudinho and the other village dogs for several weeks.I also decided to include Boca Valeria in the Amazon Ark itinerary so that WSPA can help improve the future of all the animals there."

Not long ago, Elizabeth returned to the village and found that Papudinho had gained 11 pounds! WSPA is beginning a spay/neuter campaign in the village and providing owners with information about responsible pet ownership.