4 Young Boys in Detroit Find Starving, Abandoned Dog Tied to House With Bungee Cords and Rescue Her

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From the archives: This story was last updated in January 2020.

For four Good samaritans in the 7 Mile area of Detroit, it was an ordinary day of helping out people in the neighborhood. But when the boys went to assist a woman who was moving, they noticed an abandoned dog tied to the back of a house with bungee cords.

Horrified at the dog’s treatment, brothers Kenny, Kenneth, and Kevin Dancy and their friend Andrew Daniels noticed that she was emaciated and shivering from the cold. Wrapping her up in a winter coat, they rescued her and brought her back to their home, where she finally got food and water. They decided to name her Sparkle.

It was a pure coincidence that they crossed paths with members of Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue while walking the dog in the neighborhood. They explained Sparkle’s sad story to the Pit Crew, who noticed that the pooch was suffering from mange. Taking her for veterinary care, the organization thanked the boys for their actions, calling them “heroes of the day” in a video posted on Facebook.

“You could tell they really love this dog,” the organization’s founder Theresa Sumpter said to WDIV. “They were protective of the dog and wanted to make sure the dog was going to a good place.” Her rescuers were sad to say goodbye but happy to see her getting medical treatment and a forever home.

Detroit Pit Crew Rescue Head Sumpter explained that the boys’ action didn’t go unrewarded. “We did make sure that these youngsters receive some compensation for their efforts,” she explained. As the organization explains on its website, “Since October of 2013, we are a Street Crew rescue whose goal is to rescue stray dogs that are injured, sick or that are in imminent danger and need immediate medical attention.”

As the four boys explained in the video, without thinking of themselves as professional “rescuers,” they often help stray dogs in the neighborhood, giving them food and water.

Many of DPC’s followers on social media were incredibly impressed to see young boys so passionate about animal welfare. “Your parents have raised you right! What a great thing to do,” one person commented. “The fact that you all helped is wonderful. [Y]ou could have walked away, but you chose to value life.”

After taking Sparkle to their shelter, the rescuers had her tested for mange, a contagious skin condition caused by tiny parasites, and found that she was clear. This was excellent news, as it paved the way for the dog to be fostered and adopted. Sister organization Pet Tales Rescue placed Sparkle with a foster mom, and pretty soon this loveable dog had regained her spirit.

But the four friends weren’t done with their animal-rescuing feats. They rescued two other dogs from the same neighborhood, both of whom were in bad condition. Getting in touch with Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, they were able to get both of them to the vet for treatment.

Once again, commenters on the DPC Facebook feed were extremely impressed with the young men’s selflessness and bravery. As one user wrote, “they take their fearlessness and their compassion back to their families and friends and schools and people feel like they should do more.”

Meanwhile, it seems like the junior rescuers were getting their potential career in animal advocacy off to a great start. “[T]hese kids are heros and they are in a tough place yet they get it...they know they have to do it and we need to praise them because it is a big deal,” the same user commented.