The photos of Louie, the little dog who survived a horrific machete attack in Madagascar, broke hearts far and wide. Now we get to share the update this brave boy so deserves. Bring tissues!
Cape Town, South Africa (07 September 2026) – Do you remember Louie? The sweet boy with the gentlest eyes, three legs and a story that was almost too awful to comprehend?
When we first told you about Louie, he was waiting for someone to choose him. Now, someone has.
Louie’s story begins far from South Africa, on the island of Madagascar, where a woman named Vanessa spotted him. He was skeletal. He was hobbling. He was barely alive. What he had survived was brutal beyond measure.
Louie had been attacked by a man with a machete. The attack left him blinded in one eye, with broken bones, severed toes and a badly infected foot. He survived like that for five months before Vanessa found him.
She stepped into his corner and started crowdfunding for the urgent medical care he needed. His leg was amputated, blood tests were run, medication was given, and Louie was vaccinated.
Vanessa then began the process of getting him from Madagascar to South Africa. She went through every obstacle – blood tests, paperwork, permits, travel arrangements and all the costs that came with them. She continued fundraising for the bills waiting on this side, knowing Louie’s journey would be far from over once he landed.
When all the paperwork was finally done, Louie made the journey to South Africa, battered but braver than most.
Vanessa, who rescued him and carried him across an ocean, did not have a permanent home of her own and could not keep him. And so Hoedspruit Paws – a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of animals in and around Hoedspruit – helped put the word out.
Louie needed a home. That is where Emma and Pete come in.
Related Stories
Missing Dog Smurf Safely Back in His Doting Dad’s Arms After Viral Search!
South African Siblings Strike Gold and Bronze on the World Dance StageThe Cape Town couple already share their home with rescue dog Bean and cats Dennis and Harvey. Emma is a research psychologist, lecturer and supervisor, while Pete is an online teacher. More importantly for Louie, they are serious animal people.
Emma even started a kitten rescue with a friend in 2019. Years later, after being diagnosed with a rare cancer, she was forced to close it. By then, they had helped rehome 120 cats and kittens through a foster system.
So when Louie’s face appeared on Emma’s phone, the decision was instant.
“…My mom sent me a link from the Hoedspruit Paws post on Facebook, asking for a safe place for Louie to land once he reached South Africa. Before even reading the whole thing, I showed Pete, we gave each other the look of agreement and I told my mom ‘we’ll take him,’” Emma tells us.
There was something else that made Louie feel especially meant for them. Less than two months before seeing his story, Emma and Pete had lost their elderly three-legged dog.
“We had recently (in April 2026) lost our old doggie who also had three legs, but he had a front leg missing. He was very old and lived a lovely life, but we were already ‘open’ to adopting a special soul at the time. I can’t help but feel that Louie was meant to find us.” she says.
Then there were those eyes.
“His beautiful little face, and the most gentle eyes I have ever seen in this picture of him. A dog who had been through the unimaginable, quite literally, and he still had this softness and gentleness in his eyes.”
Practically, Emma and Pete were also a very good fit. They knew what it meant to care for a blind three-legged dog, and they were ready for whatever Louie needed next.
With his forever family eager for his arrival, Louie eventually landed in Johannesburg and entered quarantine, where he was expected to stay for a week. Finally, he was safe in South Africa, thanks to Vanessa, Emma, and the small army that rallied to help him.
Then another serious hurdle popped up unexpectedly. On release day, Louie tested positive for heartworm.
“On his release day he tested positive for heartworm. This meant two rounds of arsenic-based treatment and an additional 6 weeks in quarantine on a strict rest protocol. It was hard thinking of him there, but after everything he had endured, we couldn’t give up.” Emma says.
Louie was well looked after in his boarding, but still, it wasn’t where he belonged, after all that he had gone through. He braved six more weeks in limbo. With more treatment and mounting bills. As he received the care and space he needed to get better, costs continued to climb beyond what his crowdfunding could cover.
“One of the most stressful parts of this entire rescue has been the bills – bills on bills on bills – most of which were way before I even got involved. He has needed extensive treatment, surgeries, rehab, boarding, relocation, etc.” says Emma.
Thankfully, we were able to play a small role in connecting Louie’s warriors with the helpers. Good Things Guy has partnered with Oneplan pet insurance to shine a spotlight on the pets, people and organisations making a difference in the lives of animals across South Africa.
“When we heard Louie’s story, we didn’t hesitate. Sometimes the right thing to do is simply to help.” says Michael Otten, CEO of Oneplan. “We see every day how important timely veterinary care is. Supporting Louie’s treatment was a small way for us to support an incredible rescue story.”
Oneplan generously stepped in to cover Louie’s outstanding veterinary costs. With that help, Louie’s heartworm treatment and substantial veterinary bill were covered.
“When life and death decisions of another living being are placed on you, and the decision is reliant on finances, the burden is insurmountable. When Oneplan agreed to help us, Vanessa and I both shed tears of joy! Every single life matters, and I want to thank Oneplan for acknowledging that. Thank you, from all of us here. Thank you for seeing Louie, and being a part of the village that brought him home to safety.”
Finally came the part everyone had been waiting for.
After six weeks of strict rest and recovery, Louie got the all-clear. CemAir sponsored his flight to Cape Town, where Emma, Pete, Bean, Dennis and Harvey were waiting.
“After his 6 weeks on strict rest and finally getting some proper food, he arrived in Cape Town looking like a little roll of polony!” says Emma. “He was already so sweet and trusting. [When] we got him to the car where we could finally let him out of the crate and really meet him, he was clearly a bit overwhelmed and alert, but so, so sweet. He trusted us! He sat on my lap the whole way home, often licking my face. I couldn’t believe the love this dog still had in him despite what human beings did to him.”
A little roll of polony with one working eye, three legs and all the love still left to give.
Louie is now in his third week of settling into home life, and he has slipped into the family like he was always meant to be there. He and Bean get on like a house on fire; Dennis and Harvey are accepting of their new brother.
“Louie is incredibly intelligent, and after watching him the past weeks, I can finally start to see how he survived so long with such severe injuries. He is such a special dog, truly, with a heart of gold.”
There are still traces of everything Louie has been through. He needs reassurance and likes knowing his people are close. But in just a few weeks, he has started to learn that his family aren’t going anywhere, and they would never hurt him.
“He knows where his bed is, he knows the movements and patterns of the house, and he just fits in so well. He does insist that you hold his hand a lot though, it’s very sweet.” says Emma. “His favourite place to sleep is the laundry basket, specifically the clean laundry basket – bonus points if it’s full! That’s okay, we have given him the laundry basket, we don’t need clothes.”
He is getting to know his neighbourhood too, slowly but surely, and has already had his first beach walk!
For a dog who spent so much time surviving unimaginable pain, we shed happy tears over his biggest concern now being who is holding his hand, and whether the clean laundry basket is available.
“Louie’s journey reminds us that kindness has a ripple effect. One person rescues, another adopts, others lend support, and together a life is changed.” says Michael. “Behind every rescue story are people making enormous sacrifices for an animal they’ve chosen not to give up on. We’re proud to support people like Vanessa and Emma.”
When we first wrote about Louie, we said he had done the hard part and was waiting for someone to give him the good part. It looks like the good part has finally begun.
by 
