Bulgaria - When a man in Bulgaria discovered a suffering animal on the side of the road, he thought it was an injured sheep. Little did he know, there was a dog hiding under all the matted fur!

When Louis Grice came across the furry something-or-ther, he was on his way to pick up a friend from the nearby airport.

Then, at a rest stop during the drive, he noticed what appeared to be a pile of wool... and it was moving.

"She looked like a sheep to me," the man told The Dodo.

Due to terrible neglect, the four-legged friend's matted and filthy coat resembled that of a wild sheep.

To his surprise, however, the find turned out to be a small pooch that had apparently been hit by a car and injured.

A piece of the metal chain from which the animal had apparently broken free was still dangling from its neck.

But whether sheep or dog, Louis was determined to save the dog.

As no vet was open nearby, the animal rights activist even made a special trip to the capital for help. A double fracture was discovered on the dog's front leg, which had been left untreated for a long time and had to be operated on immediately.

Otherwise, the furry friend was doing surprisingly well, Louis wrote in an Instagram post.

He suspects that the animal had been chained up all its life, could hardly move, and was exposed to all kinds of weather.

The Bulgarian named the dog Tina and freed her from her matted fur with a sleek new haircut.

After being "sheared," the four-legged friend's adorable little face was revealed.

Tina can now live with Louis as a foster dog until she has fully recovered.

The man – who supports street dogs in Bulgaria with his "Lou & Sylw" campaign – hopes that the four-legged friend will soon find a home.

Although the dog has been through such hardships, she still wants to be close to people.

"She’s such a sweet and innocent little dog, who craves human affection," Louis said.

"So if there is anyone out there who’s got a lot of love to give, please reach out... She could be the one for you."