Chihuahua Puppy With Severe Burns Adopted By Girl Who Has Been There

When you're a little bit different, sometimes all you really need is someone who understands - and who is the same kind of different as you are. A tiny Chihuahua puppy named Fireman was found with severe chemical burns all over his body, and eventually found his forever home with someone who understands burns all too well.

WARNING: Graphic photo below

Fireman was found when he was only around 4 to 6 weeks old, hiding under a kiddie swimming pool in a quarantined play yard at Antioch Animal Services. He was clearly in pain, though no one knew exactly what had happened at first. It was later discovered that the poor puppy had chemical burns on his tummy, chest and ears.

Fireman was brought to Umbrella of Hope Rescue for immediate attention. The burns were all at various stages of healing, which means that the poor puppy had been abused multiple times. Most of his ears had to be amputated because of the damage. Understandably, Fireman had a clear distrust of humans when he was first rescued.

His foster mom, Kristy Keusch, said in an article she wrote for East County Today, "He became very fearful of being handled and disliked being pressured, his reaction was to bite. Fireman's physical body was healing, but inside his little mind was in turmoil."

Fireman was taken to a behaviorist, where he was diagnosed with PTSD. Due to the unimaginable abuse he had suffered, he has a lot of issues connecting with people and absolutely refused to be put on a leash.

When it came time to find Fireman a home, Kristy knew he was going to need a special person who truly understood him and all of his issues. Umbrella of Hope received countless requests to adopt Fireman - but one girl stood out from all the rest.

Chloe is a 12-year-old girl who was burned when she was a baby, just like Fireman, and has since undergone seven surgeries related to her burn injuries. Fireman needs someone with a lot of patience, and because of Chloe's past she can absolutely provide that for Fireman.

Everyone involved in Fireman's journey is so thrilled that, despite his issues, he has found someone who truly understands and can give him the support and love he needs. The road to healing is going to be a long one for this little guy, but with Chloe by his side, there is no doubt that he can make amazing strides.