Odysseus was so critically emaciated when he was found that his story even the most seasoned rescuers weep up. The 2-year-old puppy was discovered abandoned outside of a Georgia church – tied up, sickly but yet clinging to life.

Rescuers suspect that Odysseus could be a boxer mix – but he’s so underweight that they can’t be sure. He weighed barely 28 pounds when he was found, and all his ribs showed plainly through his skin.

Local group Angels Among Us Pet Rescue stepped in to care for Odysseus and rushed him into emergency veterinary care. Late Sunday night, the rescue recounted his story in an emotional Facebook post.

“I’m writing this with tears flowing down my cheeks … He is an absolute skeleton … This child needs rescue and emergency veterinary care and he needs it Immediately!”

“It will take a while to determine his personality,” Anne Clark, from Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, told The Dodo. “But I understand he is pretty sweet.”

During the weekend, the rescue began searching for a foster home where Odysseus may begin to heal from his years of starvation and mistreatment.

“We are also in serious need of a foster to assist Odysseus rehabilitate,” the organization posted on Facebook. “Would you open your home and heart to help him?”

Their cries were answered. Even though he’s not ready to go to a home yet, Odysseus has already found a foster parent. “She’s been on the edge of her seat all night waiting for information and she’s scheduled to visit him early tomorrow,” the rescue posted on Facebook. “She is his angel!!!”

There are no clues yet concerning who starved Odysseus almost to death – but his rescuers are turning to the future now, focused on how to give this young dog the chance of a healthy, happy life.

Sorrowful Eyes: The Haunting Tale of a Dog’s Desolation, Abandoned and Emaciated Outside a Church, a Silent Plea for Compassion