NEED TO KNOW

• Derek Jonas rescued an injured dog, Willow, after she was thrown from a moving vehicle and hit by a truck

• Willow underwent surgery to amputate her leg with help from Partners for Pets and the BISSELL Pet Foundation

• Jonas adopted Willow on Valentine’s Day, giving her a loving home with his family

A Good Samaritan has found a best friend after deciding to step in and help an abandoned dog that got seriously injured.

In January, Derek Jonas was at his job in Granite City, Ill., when a coworker told him that a dog had been thrown from a moving vehicle and hit by a truck just outside.

An animal lover, Jonas, 29, went to check on the canine, and before he could get outside, the injured dog hopped up to him at the door of his workplace.

“Her tail was wagging like crazy, and she ran right up to me like ‘Hey, I’m hurt!’ I looked her over for a second before really trying to touch her. The whole time, she just wanted to be saved,” Jonas tells PEOPLE of his first meeting with the dog, who’s named Willow, according to the weathered collar she was found in.

“She is by far one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met in my entire life, and even putting it that way is a huge understatement,” Jonas adds.

While looking Willow over, Jonas noticed that the dog had a badly injured front leg from her cruel abandonment. Recognizing that Willow needed immediate medical care, Jonas didn’t hesitate to help her.

“I got her into my car and immediately took her to a local vet to get looked at and scanned for a possible microchip,” Willow’s rescuer says. “She had no chip and no prior owner who ever came forward for her. She was very underweight, and you could tell she hadn’t been cared for properly in a very long time.”

After Willow’s initial exam, Jonas took the dog home to figure out the next steps. He decided to post on social media about the pup’s ordeal and explain the mounting medical costs needed to treat her leg.

“It went completely viral! Over 20,000 people saw the video and photos of her, and that’s when Partners for Pets reached out,” he says of what happened next.

Partners for Pets Humane Society is a no-kill animal shelter in Troy, Ill. The organization contacted Jonas and offered to provide medical care to Willow. At the shelter’s facilities, Willow received X-rays, which revealed that she had catastrophic fractures to her front left leg.

The shelter tried to treat the injury with pain management and stabilization, but the severity of the injury continued to cause Willow intense pain. Veterinarians determined that amputation was the humane option to care for Willow and save her life.

To ensure costs didn’t stand in the way of Willow’s care, the BISSELL Pet Foundation — a foundation dedicated to supporting rescue pets and addressing pet overpopulation — helped cover the dog’s surgery through its Grateful Pet Program.

“Unfortunately, stories like Willow’s are not uncommon. It’s tragic. Too many pets are abandoned, injured, and discarded by humans they trusted. Our society is letting down ‘man’s best friend.’ At BISSELL Pet Foundation, we believe every pet should have a chance, and our programs give pets the lives they deserve,” the foundation’s founder, Cathy Bissell, says.

Thankfully, Willow’s new streak of good luck continued; she made it through her amputation operation with no issue.

“Willow was a wonderful patient! She has such a sweet disposition and is just your typical labby personality, happy to be here and make new friends! While Willow’s first few days in our care were difficult for her due to the unmanageable pain of her injuries, she recovered extremely well after her amputation,” Erika Pratte of Partners for Pets shares.

For recovery, Willow was joined by a familiar face. Jonas offered to foster the dog he helped save, and brought her home to his partner, Ivy Horton, his other dog, and his kids.

“After her surgery, we almost immediately decided we wanted Willow forever,” Jonas admits. “She came right into our home, and our other pup really liked Willow, and so did the children.”

Jonas made it official on Valentine’s Day, adopting Willow from Partners for Pets and making her a permanent member of his family.

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Her pet parent says Willow likes to spend her days lounging on the couch, but since she is an “old girl with a young soul,” she also enjoys playing with toys and cleaning up leftovers.

“Willow is absolutely perfect in every aspect,” Jonas says of his new canine companion.

Bissell notes that the happy ending shows, “Every pet deserves a chance, and sometimes that starts with one person choosing to stop and help. Willow’s story reminds us that even in heartbreaking situations, compassion can change everything.”

Read the original article on People