Blind Dog Who Was Found In Trash Heap, Is Rescued And Video Goes Viral (VIDEO)

Last year, Eldad and Audrey Hagar found Fiona -- sick, blind, flea-infested and covered in grime -- in a trash heap in South Los Angeles.

"She was just so defeated," said Eldad Hagar, who captured the rescue on video, said. "Blind, filthy, everything was going against her. There seemed to be no hope there."

Eldad Hargar, 36, and his wife, Audrey, 37, who are the founders of Hope For Paws, a Los Angeles-based animal rescue organization that takes in abused and neglected animals, gathered the traumatized dog in their arms and immediately took her home. They shaved off her matted fur and cleaned off the dirt -- thus beginning Fiona's miraculous transformation.

Thanks to a nationwide fundraising effort spearheaded by the Hagars, hundreds reached into their pockets, and Fiona received a $4,000 eye surgery that replaced the lens in one of her eyes, partially restoring her vision. (Unfortunately, her other eye had been too badly damaged by glaucoma to be saved.)

The Hagars' video of Fiona's rescue and recovery has since gone viral. The YouTube page has more than 48,000 hits and a number of news organizations have reported her story.

Following the surgery, Fiona -- a poodle mix -- was adopted and according to Eldad Hagar, is "doing amazing." The couple hope that Fiona's story will inspire others to help abandoned animals.

"We're so happy that people are watching this and learning," Eldad Hagar said. "We want people to react to this. Next time you see an animal on the street, call someone or do something. If you can't help, then get help."

Often, he said, all they need is a bath. "The change is instant," he said. "You can take a dog off the street or out of a shelter who is absolutely terrified and you just give them a bath and show them some attention. They feel so much better, immediately. It's so incredible. "

Hagar and his wife rescue several animals a week in the Los Angeles area. He frequently videotapes the rescues and posts them on his YouTube page.

For the past four years, the couple have been fostering the animals they rescue (about 500 of them) in their home, cage-free, until they are adopted.

"I really want to encourage more people to foster dogs. It really does not take that much effort," said Hagar, who is fostering five at the moment. "It's so rewarding to take an animal from the worst conditions possible and to see them go from there to what Fiona became at the end. It's amazing."

"That's why we call the organization 'Hope For Paws', because there is hope," he continued. "We just need to make it happen."

For more information, go to the Hope For Paws website or Facebook page.

Check out more photos of Fiona before and after her rescue below.

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Comments

[Pema]

10:29 AM on 03/29/2013

oh little fiona! i saw this on face book it was forwarded i dont know if it was audrey or who sent it around but its amazing! and amazing stories happen all over america and beyond of these incredible people who will devote their lives to helping the voiceless...
love to all who work for the animals.

[Stephninjateddybear Chu]

06:31 PM on 03/24/2013

:) Glad someone rescued her:) You guys are so nice:)

[LSophia]

02:25 AM on 02/21/2013

What a darling dog! I am so in love.

Huge props to Audrey and Eldad for all that they are doing to help these defenseless animals.

[SallySassalot]

04:31 PM on 02/16/2013

If I didn't live in an apartment I'd totally foster dogs.

This guy is a champ. I've been watching all his videos and what he does is just perfect.

CHEESEBURGERS are the road to happiness, my canine friends!

[MikeinMn]

11:03 AM on 01/06/2013

Just AWESOME -
Is there ANYTHING more important in this wold than saving innocents?

[Pema]

10:31 AM on 03/29/2013

no. nothing :)

[Windy Thu Dao]

10:24 PM on 01/04/2013

Crying everytime watching this...Fiona's video restored my faith in humanity. Pls share more videos from Hope for Paws. They are such inspiration and life changing!

[Robin Balliette Poupard]

12:38 AM on 12/31/2012

Hope for Paws Animal Rescue and Eldad Hagar and friends have made such a powerful dent in the world of animal rescue. I just learned about them because of a rescue of a Mastiff and Chihuahua couple in Long Beach, California who were then rehabilitated by Marley's Mutts in Tehachapi, California. Seeing their rescue videos has affected me so much that I am going to make animal rescue a part of my retired life. I would love to see Huffington Post feature more stories about these organizations. Wider publicity would do such good at educating the public about what can be done for these poor "former" pets who make wonderful future family members instead of ending their lives painfully and sadly. Thanks for what you do.

[Lori SB]

09:13 PM on 12/30/2012

Your article was monumentally beneficial to Hope for Paws. Their rescue efforts are phenomenal and they deserved the recognition the Huffington Post brought them. Please post more of their rescue videos for all your fans to see. It will ultimately bring more support for Hope for Paws and enable them to save more sweet furbabies.

[Lori Rene Anderson]

05:27 PM on 12/30/2012

Eldad rocks! Please share more of his rescues! You have the ability to help him help the helpless. THANK YOU!!!!

[BABYGIRL10]

02:36 PM on 12/30/2012

Eldad and Audrey are wonderful they give their life to helping these poor babies that are thrown out liked trash, rescued, find homes and saved them from death. I only wished I lived in California so I could helped them. Fiona's story should be number one and I hoped you will be posting more of Eldad's rescues he deserves every bit of help and donation too helped these fur babies. I am a fan and checked his post and website every day. Please helped him to be able to rescued more dogs and cats every day. He is a amazing person.

[Lisa Snyder]

10:30 AM on 11/08/2012

Eldad and Audrey are amazing. I have had the pleasure of meeting them and have started volunteering with an organization they are associated with. I did not get to meet Fiona but I did meet Watson the beautiful tripod! Any donations made to them will be used to save other babies just like Fiona. Please donate!!

[kimlp333]

09:06 AM on 11/08/2012

It doesn't matter how many times I read this story, it still makes me cry.

[Annespeaks]

04:23 AM on 09/18/2012

Seeing how happy that dog was at the end made my year.

[TammyJJ1972]

08:53 PM on 07/30/2012

Of course blubbery ole' me started crying! This dog deserves all she recieved and then some! Just watcing how happy she was after makes me happy! I wish her the best and thank you to ALL of the people who helped her and are makeingher life enjoyable!!

[TammyJJ1972]

08:48 PM on 07/30/2012