Her scrawny body was bloody from a skin infection and her swollen feet so sore she could only hobble on three paws when Annie Hart and Eldad Hager approached.
Armed with a cheeseburger, Hart tried to lure the abandoned year-old Australian shepherd mix into a leash while Hager recorded the scene as it unfolded in an industrial section of Wilmington in early April.
Since then, the four-minute video of the dog's rescue, her treatment by a veterinarian and her foster-home placement with a Sherman Oaks couple has been viewed by as many as 4 million people on YouTube and other sites.
Hart, director of the animal rescue group Bill Foundation, and Hager, who runs Hope for Paws, say they recorded the video to draw attention to the problem of dogs neglected by urban dwellers.
They've posted videos of other dogs' rescues on YouTube, but none has gained the attention that "Rescuing Bethany" has. Bethany is the name the pair bestowed on the pooch as they drove her to a Hollywood veterinarian.
Perhaps "Lucky" would have been a more appropriate name.
Lab tests showed that Bethany suffered from a severe bladder infection, along with several other illnesses, including one that left her so lame that she could not run away when Hart approached. She was also suffering from worms, an eye infection and a bad case of mange.
Luckily for Hager and Hart — who cradled Bethany on the ride to the vet's office — it was demodectic mange, which is not contagious. Nonetheless, "as soon as I got home I threw my clothes in the washer and jumped in the shower," Hart said.
Hager's group paid the $8,000 veterinary bill for Bethany's treatment, which took several weeks and included spaying and being microchipped. Hart's organization arranged for temporary foster-home placement and is now looking for a permanent home for her.
The video briefly shows the good Samaritan who first encountered the dog on the Wilmington sidewalk and called the Bill Foundation.
"We ask that tipsters email us a photo of the dog so we know what it looks like and what the surrounding area looks like," Hart said. "We ask them to stay with the animal until we get there."
Roadside rescues typically include a stop at a Jack In the Box for the cheeseburger lure. "They're open 24/7 and are everywhere," Hart said.
The Sherman Oaks couple's foster home is one of about 30 used by the Bill Foundation. Homeowners Rachel Israel and John Pollak have fostered 12 dogs over the last two years, including a white terrier named Olivia they have had for seven months. They also have their own golden retriever, Jones.
"We became foundation volunteers when we found a little dog on the street. We called around and the Bill Foundation was the only one that would help us," said Israel, a TV producer.
Pollak, a TV show distribution executive, said the pair will become parents in September, which means he and Israel will have to be more selective about taking in dogs in the future. They expect Bethany and Olivia both to have been adopted by then.
Hager, who co-founded Hope for Paws with his wife, Audrey Spilker, said he hopes the Bethany video — which has been seen on many websites as well as television newscasts — motivates others to help neglected dogs.
"Most people don't realize there are 30,000 stray dogs in Los Angeles at any given moment," he said. "I'm not animal control. With a cheeseburger, I come as the dog's friend."
bob.pool@latimes.com
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