Anyone who’s ever owned a dog will know that they have a multitude of ways to communicate with a human in different situations.

Their behavior changes depending on whether they’re hungry or angry, happy or hurt, just as the sounds they make differ too.

That’s why when a group of workers near the town of Suwalki, Poland, heard a dog continuously barking in a remote, wooded area, they knew they should investigate it. They decided to follow the sound and see what it was, and we’re so grateful they did …

What they found would have been enough to render me speechless. There, lying stranded in a puddle of tar, unable to escape, was a dog in dire need of rescue.

The workers contacted Joanna Godlewska, of the Niczyje Animal Foundation. She headed straight for the scene, unsure what to expect and worried because of it.

“When I finally arrived and saw a dog lying in the tar, tears came to my eyes,” Godlewska told The Dodo.

It’s thought that the dog may have been seeking warmth and lay down in the tar not knowing that it would become a trap.

Just how long the pooch had been stuck is anyone’s guess, but one thing that’s certain is that he wouldn’t have made it on his own. His sprit was rapidly fading when he was discovered, and were it not for the workers he would surely have died.

Godlewska and a team of firefighters were able to pry the dog free from the tar, first by cutting away portions of his fur and then by using cooking oil to loosen the rest. She believes his gratification was obvious.

The dog was then rushed to a veterinary clinic to be treated for exhaustion.

After a messy few hours, in which the remaining tar was scrubbed from his body, he was given an examination. Fortunately, it transpired he was in good overall health.

“He feels better and better,” Godlewska said.

The dog, named Farcik, still has some recovering to do, but he’s now surrounded by people who care for him and will work until he’s in a loving, safe home.

Indeed, a huge thank you to everyone who banded together to save Farcik!

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