Odessa - When Olena and her team from "Love Furry Friends" animal rescue saw this dog sitting on the side of the road looking strange, they immediately stopped their car.

The four-legged friend had adopted an odd posture. When Olena approached him and took a closer look, her heart broke.

The dog had apparently been hit by a car and then left helpless.

The Ukrainian woman didn't want to imagine how long he had had to endure his situation.

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Because she couldn't carry the dog herself, a colleague took care of it.

The kind man very carefully placed the injured four-legged friend in a plastic bowl and then carried him to the car.

Then it was off to the vet in a flash, who soon had to break the sad news to the animal rights activists: Bobby, as they had named the dog, had suffered a fractured vertebra.

It was uncertain whether he would ever be able to walk again.

The vet also discovered that the animal patient had probably been sitting helplessly beside the road for days. Finally, the surgeon at the veterinary clinic was called in – and made a decision.

There was little hope that Bobby would be able to walk again afterwards, but it was worth a try.

After the operation on his spine, the dog had to stay in the hospital for another week.

He was then allowed to move to the Love Furry Friends shelter, where everyone involved has been doing their best to literally get the dog back on his feet.

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Bobby's sad story can be seen in a video published on the Ukrainian animal welfare organization's YouTube channel.

Whether he will ever be able to walk again is still not known for sure – but for now, he can look forward to lots of cuddles, a warm place to stay, and plenty of food.