COVINGTON, LA (WGNO) — Workers at the St. Tammany Humane Society say a dog that was down on his luck has saved the life of another.  One of the animals is now ready to go home, but the other needs someone to make a place for him.

The story begins with a pit bull named Charlie who arrived at the shelter as a stray, sick and completely hairless.  The staff at the STHS nursed him back to health and eventually placed him in a new home.  But Charlie’s run of bad luck didn’t end there.  A year after his adoption, shelter workers say the was returned because his family decided they could no longer take car of him.

So Charlie went from a real home back to his life in the shelter.

That’s where another dog, a 3-year-old Doberman named Piglet was also dropped off at the shelter.  Piglet was scared, timid, and infected with heartworm disease.  Instead of euthanasia, shelter workers decided to gamble on Piglet and nurse the dog back to health.

A week into Piglet’s heartworm treatment, she developed complications.  The only real chance she had of recovery required a blood transfusion.  Shelter workers decided Charlie would be the ideal donor.  Not only did the transfusion help, Piglet is now cleared to go home.

But Charlie remains at the shelter.  He’s already been returned once, but hopefully another family can step up and provide the life he deserves.  If that’s you, call the St. Tammany Humane Society at 985-892-7387.