St. Louis, Missouri - A bloody paw print and a desperate whimper led an attentive neighbor to this puppy in serious need of help. Here's what happened next...

The woman happened to see a trail of blood leading from the driveway into her neighbor's garden as she walked past.

She heard helpless whimpering and eventually discovered a stray dog that didn't seem to be doing well at all.

She called the local animal shelter, and the helpers from the Stray Rescue organization were met with a sad sight: a completely emaciated four-legged friend, visibly weakened and with a vacant look on his face.

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The puppy, which the emergency services later named Ricky Darryl, was suffering from parvovirus and was in mortal danger.

The highly contagious viral disease mainly affects dogs, but also cats. It attacks the gastrointestinal tract and can lead to death in animals, especially puppies.

Ricky was immediately taken to the emergency room, where he received around-the-clock care for two days.

He was then placed in a quarantine ward for several weeks. A touching video on the animal rescue's Facebook page shows Ricky's long battle with the affliction.

Ricky is now almost unrecognizable: he jumps and plays with great joy, and the dark past seems to be forgotten.

"Ricky Darryl is doing great now," Natalie Thomson from Stray Rescue told Newsweek. "He loves dogs, kids, all adults; he loves to play and to cuddle... He's such a happy boy. We are so proud of him!"

Natalie added that the little dog especially likes children. He is affectionate, cuddly, and full of zest for life. The four-legged friend also gets along well with most of the other dogs at the shelter.

The animal helpers are now hoping to find a forever home and a loving family for Ricky.