The dog, Boo, is now regaining his strength after being rescued.
The heartbreaking photo of a lonely dog left on the sidewalk next to trash, reportedly left by his family, was taken by a Michigan neighbor who said they never returned for the pit bull named "Boo."
A neighbor told Mike Diesel, who eventually rescued the dog, that he witnessed the family move out and leave the dog.
Read: Gentle Pit Bull Living on the Streets Gets a Second Chance at Life
“A neighbor that witnessed the family move out a while ago said they came back once for belongings and not Boo unfortunately,” Diesel, founder of the Detroit Youth and Dog Rescue, told InsideEdition.com.
Diesel initially saw the sad photo on Facebook page for dogs, which garnerned more than 20k likes.
The neighbor reportedly said he’d been feeding Boo for a week and had contacted every dog rescue in the area, but no one would take the homeless dog.
That’s when Diesel decided to take action.
He drove to where the abandoned pup was and took time to get acquainted with him, not wanting to frighten Boo.
“As far as building up the trust that started Sunday the 16th at 2:30 p.m. when I arrived and I stayed that night until 1 a.m. talking and getting acquainted with Boo and feeding him different food items,” said Diesel.
The next day Diesel said he decided to show up with two sausage McMuffins and two hash browns to eat with Boo but ended up giving the dog both, he said.
“It took another 4-5 hours that day before I ended up getting a leash around his neck and then we just sat on the ground and talked for 45 minutes before I had enough trust for him to allow me to pick him up and we went directly to the vet,” said Diesel.
Read: Robbers Break Into Pet Store, Steal 6 Puppy Bulldogs: 'We Hope They Are All OK'
It turned up that Boo has heartworms and as of Saturday he is still at the Groesbeck Animal Hospital getting the help he needs.
"Boo has warmed up to me in an amazing way already and truly shows and proves the Love of the pit bull and Trust they have in humans,” said Diesel.
Diesel has made a Paypal account for Boo's need that he said people can donate to.
Watch: Homeless Pit Bull Thrilled to Be Saved Thanks Rescuers with Kisses
