Clifford The Dog, Once Starved & Abandoned Along Oklahoma River, Adopted By Family of Rescuer

When Alyssa Southard agreed to foster Clifford the dog, she didn’t know if the dog would survive the recovery. 

“I was worried day-to-day. Is he going to make it a few more weeks just so we can get him stable?” 

Courtney Payne, an Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Officer, rescued Clifford in Southwest Oklahoma City two days Thanksgiving last year. She first spotted the 8-year-old Shepard lying motionless along a bank of the Oklahoma River. 

“He was just so thin, you could see all of his ribs and he was just lying there not moving,” Payne said. 

The shelter’s veterinarian found Clifford was dehydrated, starved, and had heartworms, deteriorating muscle tissue, as well as arthritis. 

Southard and her family signed on to foster Clifford after his rescue and started an online fundraiser to help pay for his medical costs. 

She started the dog on a diet of 4-meals a day with biweekly visits to the vet. 

In March, Southard said Clifford weighed 68 pounds, a gain of 26 from when she first saw him. 

“I did not expect him to make the turnaround that he did. He used to lay around all the time, couldn’t get up, couldn’t walk. He’s running now,” Southard said. “He darts across the backyard. Any time he sees us, he gets excited. It’s beautiful to see.” 

Over the weekend, Clifford left Southard’s house for his forever home, Southard’s parents’ house. 

“It’s amazing that he’s able to go into a home for the rest of his life,” she said.