When some residents of Clarksville, Tennessee began to see a stray dog wander around their neighborhood, at first, they didn’t think much of it. They say that the Australian shepherd was like a “ghost” — one that stuck around for 17 months!

Dubbed “Patches”, the residents of the town couldn’t do much to save the poor pup since they first saw him in July 2014. They left food and water out, but catching him was close to impossible without the proper resources. But Patches wasn’t just a stray dog: He was also injured. His collar was didn’t just go around his neck but was also wrapped around one of his legs.

This month, animal control finally took over the situation, using all available resources to capture the Australian Shepherd. Hunting cameras and other devices were used to track his movement around the town. They watched him for four days before setting up a non-harmful trap using a kennel attached to a 500 foot parachute cord, which would shut the kennel from a distance once Patches was inside. Early one morning, Patches was finally rescued!

Patches proved to be a very friendly dog, but animal control officers were shocked by how long he had survived without a home. He spent four long years without a home. His microchip revealed that he belonged to a family, but that family was deemed no longer suitable to take care of a pet.

Patches will undergo rehabilitation training because of the time he spent on his own in the streets, but he’ll soon be ready to be loved by a family and find his forever home!

If you’re in awe of this pup’s incredible story, please SHARE!
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