Homeless man saves dumped dog

James Beavers is a homeless veteran living in an abandoned car wash.  It sounds like life had let him down in more than one way, but James still has compassion.  After being startled by a car speeding away, he heard a dog wimpering. He searched the area and found the dog in the worst possible place for a dog: in a abandoned vat of disposed motor oil.  He found some rope to pull the dog out of the mess, but still needed help making sure the German Shepherd mix, who had recently had puppies, got cleaned up.  He went to a nearby pay phone to call his friend Sheila Zachar, who has taken to animal rescue since retiring.

Covered in toxic goop and stagnant water, the dog needed to get emergency care.  Luckily she was saved by James before too much of the oil had been ingested, so most of the care she needed was some extra vigorous cleaning.  The incident was reported on the local news, and a family desperately looking for their dog came forward--Harley had been stolen from their front yard.  The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County has given the family some tips on  safeguarding their dog from danger from neighborhood menaces, and has also taken Harley's five puppies.  They will spay and neuter them, and then work on finding homes for them.  No word on if anyone is helping to find a home for the real hero of the story: James Beavers.