A male adult greyhound that was found with its “bones almost piercing through its skin” in the Algarve is being nursed back to health by animal association Coração100Dono.

Valentim (as he has been named by his rescuers) was found in a skeletal state on the side of the road in Loulé not far from the Vila Sol resort on November 13.

Flea-ridden and severely malnourished, Valentim was taken in by Coração100Dono president Marisa Teixeira, who along with other volunteers has been nursing him back to health.

Photos of the dog’s recovery have been taking social media by storm and the list of potential adopters has grown very large, with Valentim becoming something of a social media star.

Luckily, all exams carried out so far show that Valentim is free from any health issues. The priority now is making sure he regains a healthy weight before finding his forever family.

“He’s a very gentle dog. He’s become very attached to me and another volunteer. He probably saw us as his saviours,” Marisa Teixeira told the Resident.

“He was very skinny when we found him. It was quite shocking to see. However, the physical appearance of greyhounds is different from other breeds, so when they are so skinny, it is much more noticeable.”

While his past is unknown, Marisa believes that Valentim may have been chained up for most of his life until now.

“Only a dog that has been chained up for a long time could have the amount of fleas that Valentim had when we found him. A healthy dog who lives on the street would not have been in the state he was in,” she said.

Unfortunately, dogs are found in conditions similar to Valentim’s almost every week.

The association has around 300 animals in its care, divided between its shelter in Santa Bárbara de Nexe and its many carers.

“The adoption process is the same for all animals. For Valentim, however, we will try to find him a home near us, so that we can check up on him frequently,” Marisa said.

For those who would like to help the association bear the costs of Valentim’s recovery, a GoFundMe page has been launched.

Coração100Dono will also host its Christmas dinner on Saturday, December 10 at São Brás de Alportel’s secondary school at 8pm. Cost is €20 per person and includes a cold and hot vegetarian buffet, desserts and drinks.

You can also visit the association’s Facebook page to see the many animals that are looking for their forever home.

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