Nate Ohlman’s morning on February 25 started out normally enough. He was driving down the road, carrying the mail as usual, when he noticed an elderly dog ​​hunched over in a ditch at the end of a dead end.

It was a bitterly cold day in the middle of a brutal Missouri winter, and Ohlman could tell the poor pup was trying to warm up. Seeing him alone in the cold broke her heart and she felt like he had to do something to help him.

Ohlman approached the dog carefully so as not to surprise him, but soon discovered that the elderly dog ​​couldn’t hear or see very well.

“I turned around and made some noises until he saw me, and as soon as he saw me, he jumped up and ran towards my mail truck,” Ohlman explained to The Dodo. “I was frozen, hungry and alone.”

The dog, eventually named Sloan, knew he was there to help Ohlman the moment he saw him. Ohlman climbed into his truck with Sloan and looked at the little pup, bewildered as to how anyone could have let him down so horribly.

Ohlman took Sloan to the nearest animal hospital, knowing she needed care as soon as possible. He left him, hoping his new friend was okay, and made sure the medical staff had his contact information so they could keep him updated on how Sloan was doing.

“I told the clinic to give them my phone number.” “I was curious to see what was going to happen to this wonderful young man,” Ohlman added.

Ohlman returned to work and continued on his way, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Sloan out of his thoughts.

“I asked myself how and why someone could do something so horrible to such a fragile creature,” Ohlman explained. “It hurt my heart to believe that he had no one to adore him. I had no choice but to adopt him. “I don’t believe in much, but I feel like I was supposed to find out.”

At that moment, all Ohlman could do was pray with everything he had that Sloan survived and that they would eventually find their way back to each other.

Sloan was eventually taken in by KC Pet Project and arrived at their shelter the day after being rescued from the side of the road. He was in terrible condition and everyone at the rescue was devastated to see him.

Tori Fugate, communications director for KC Pet Project, told The Dodo: “He was terribly underweight, had sores all over his body, and couldn’t stand or walk on his own for very long.” “Our vets gave him the lowest body score condition they could.”

Sloan’s rescuers began giving him medications and fluids immediately afterward, and monitored him closely for many days. They worried that the sick young man had gone too far, but after receiving the best treatment possible, Sloan began to heal and was finally strong enough to move into a foster home, where he continued his long journey to recovery.

Sloan was almost 12 years old when he started to improve and become the nicest, silliest dog who wanted nothing more than to be around people all the time, getting all the love and attention he had craved for so long.

Sloan soon thrived in her foster home, and when it was time to move into her forever home, Sloan’s friends at KC Pet Project knew exactly who to contact.

Ohlman was delighted to learn that he could finally adopt Sloan, and the couple’s reunion was the sweetest part. Sloan recognized the guy who had saved his life and lavished him with love and hugs. Sloan has adjusted very well to his new home and is loving every minute of his new life.