Irvine, California – Recently, a colleague of animal‑rights activist Suzette Hall in Irvine, California, discovered a severely emaciated dog. The poor stray was crouched in front of a school, where he would only take a few steps back and forth before collapsing.

Hall’s colleague Rosario rushed to the animal’s side.

"All she could hear was him crying," Hall wrote on Facebook.

It seemed that the dog was in very bad shape.

Dogs Dog mom is worried her pup won't like the new baby – then he "tells" her the emotional truth

"He would try to get up and walk a little, but then he would start limping and collapse back down in pain," Hall said.

The sight broke Rosario's heart.

She didn't feel able to rescue the dog on her own. Hall, however, couldn't get there herself so she sent a friend to help.

"It wasn’t easy. He was terrified and hurting, but together they finally got him safe… safe in their arms," the animal‑rights activist wrote.

The furry friend was then taken to the vet. There, the staff discovered vital information about him.

The first setback came quickly: "The good news is that he has a microchip. The heartbreaking news? The owners don't want him."

More setbacks were to follow.

X‑ray scans and bloodwork performed on the animal painted a sad picture.

Dogs Dog seems uncomfortable – and what owner finds in his mouth leaves her totally shocked

It turned out the stray had been hit by a car, resulting in a lung contusion.

"When he first arrived at the vet, he was so lethargic and exhausted. But after receiving pain medication and medical care, he started feeling much better," the Californian wrote.

Her furry charge is still unwell, so she's now even raising funds for his medical treatment.

"Now he needs us," Hall wrote. "He has already been through so much, and he deserves to know that he matters."