I celebrated my 14th birthday alone, I don’t have any friends, and I hope I will receive many congratulations

The abuse and neglect of animals are things that can simply never be tolerated.

It should always be encouraged that those who hear or witness such abhorrent behavior either call the appropriate channels or intervene themselves. You may well be one poor creature’s last hope.

For one man from Georgia, that was certainly the case. Fortunately, he stepped up to the plate.

The man, who was working in a condo building in Clayton County, Georgia, was expecting nothing but a normal day at work.

The last thing he anticipated was to be called upon to become a hero, and yet that’s exactly what would play out after he saw a gray pit bull who had obviously been neglected by its owner.

For anyone who looked upon the dog, it was clear that something needed to be done – there could be no question that the animal was the subject of serious neglect.

However, the police informed the construction worker that he risked being charged with theft if he took matters into his own hands and stole the dog away. The police themselves passed the matter on to the appropriate bodies.

And yet, in spite of two warnings from the police, nothing happened. The man who had first placed the call was alarmed to see that the dog remained confined to a locked cage.

Furious with the lack of urgency and determined to fix the problem before it was too late, the man himself took the dog to a veterinarian.

“When he came up here he was crying, he was in tears, he was in disbelief,” Cinnamon Koch, a rescue worker, told KGW8.

“He saved this dog’s life.”

Mikey, named after his rescuer, soon received the care he so desperately required.

“He doesn’t have enough strength to stand and he looks like a walking skeleton,” veterinarian Dr. John Tolliver said.

“It makes you sad and it makes you angry that someone would allow an animal to get in to that shape.”

At the time of his rescue, Mikey weighed just 24 pounds (11kg) – a pit bull of his age usually weighs around 35 pounds.

Some parts of the dog’s body were also covered in burns.

“This is the worst abuse I’ve ever seen,” said Koch.

Nevertheless, Mikey proved to have immense will power and strength when it came to his recovery.

“He’s so sweet and loving all he wants to do is kiss you.”

Cinnamon Koch has since become Mikey’s mother while they wait for him to be adopted into his forever home.

Until such a happening, Mikey will continue to get lots of hugs from her.

It’s truly difficult to believe that someone could be so cruel to a helpless animal. At the same time, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of people in society who will go that extra mile to help, just as Mikey did. They should be celebrated whenever possible.