When you work in animal rescue, you never quite know what you’re going to encounter. Each day is slightly different, and each day, you might be faced with sweet puppy snuggles or heart-wrenching strays – or both.

When Animal Aid Unlimited in India received a call about a stray dog bleeding out on the streets, they immediately rushed to the scene.

PHOTO: YOUTUBE/ANIMAL AID UNLIMITED, INDIA

They shared on YouTube that when they arrived, they found the dog “covered in blood.” The ground around him was blood-soaked, and further investigation revealed a gaping wound in the dock’s neck.

Rescuers immediately rushed the dog into surgery and hoped for the best. While the surgeon was able to suture the wound to prevent further bleeding, the dog’s critical condition meant he wasn’t stable enough to continue the surgery to fully suture the wound.

PHOTO: YOUTUBE/ANIMAL AID UNLIMITED, INDIA

Staff with Animal Aid Unlimited helped the dog, who they named Nico, to come out of surgery and slowly helped to stabilize him. They said, “We stabilized him over the next couple of days, and then were able to bring him back into surgery to close the wound. It was a difficult surgery, but we managed to successfully close the wound and give every chance of healing.”

“He showed incredible vitality as soon as he awoke, and his recovery was nothing short of incredible,” they added.

PHOTO: YOUTUBE/ANIMAL AID UNLIMITED, INDIA

Nico not only survived, but he seems to be thriving!

You can see more of his rescue and recovery in the video below:

Warning: The following video contains graphic images that may not be suitable for all viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.