Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Saves Puppy Which Shares His Name

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson helped save a puppy named after him, becoming more than just a wrestling legend and powerhouse actor. The North Central Shelter for abandoned and abused animals apparently hit the Furious 7 star right in the heart strings.

This follows recent news that Dwayne Johnson won’t be appearing at Wrestlemania 32, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. Joining him in his upcoming absence is fellow WWE legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

A smaller, less famous Dwayne was reported to be wrestling with a problem of his own. The 4-month-old puppy was discovered abandoned and abused, an unfortunately common problem for discarded pets. Too often, owners fall on hard times and can’t afford to care for their furry companion. In a worst case scenario, they end up being upset and taking it out on the animal, and sometimes even leave the dog or cat behind due to inability to care for them.

The puppy named after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had suffered a similar fate, having been dropped off at the shelter with his mouth trapped shut with a heavy wire. Probably unable to bark or pant (a necessity in hotter temperatures), the puppy’s only method of communication was to whine. Actress Michelle Trachtenberg had learned of the little guy’s plight and made it public on Twitter.

This puppy named after @TheRock was tortured, abandoned! He needs our help for life saving surgery https://t.co/dluEbN2smL @SpotRescueDogs ?

— MichelleTrachtenberg (@RealMichelleT) November 24, 2015

Thankfully for little Dwayne, she had mentioned the wrestler and actor in her tweet, gaining his attention. Johnson had replied in a manner similar to the way Taylor Swift has been dealing with the news of her mother being diagnosed with cancer.

Ever since the news had hit the country and pop star, Taylor has been known to donate to charities and do something extra nice for cancer patients. One fan, who has since died, even received a personal phone call from the singer, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did something similar for his canine namesake, having been a long-time animal lover and recently lost his French bulldog buddy back in September, says Us Magazine. He’d even posted an Instagram memorial photo with his lost dog cradled in his arm. The caption for the photo revealed that Brutus had been playing outside and eaten a mushroom, which was poisonous enough to kill him, says CBS News. Brutus had been taken off life support shortly after it was revealed he couldn’t be saved.

Dwayne was moved by Trachtenberg’s tweet and replied with his own, “This is rough to read about. Poor [little] pup abandoned [with] a wire wrapped around his mouth. I’ll help. Stay strong pup.”

It is unknown why the dog’s previous owner felt the need to trap little Dwayne’s mouth shut before dropping him off at the shelter. Dogs don’t have the ability to sweat, and panting is their way of regulating their internal body temperature. It is most likely that his owner had dropped the puppy off outside the shelter to avoid dealing with accusations of animal abuse, and possibly being arrested.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had read about how his furry namesake had not only had heavy wire wrapped around his mouth, but had a heart murmur requiring surgery. The shelter had put up a GoFundMe campaign page asking for $5,000 to pay for the puppy’s surgery, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had made a donation of $1,500. The shelter has since stated that it has reached its goal and thanks all who gave, also mentioning the WWE star who the puppy was named after for his generous donation.

It’s not every day you hear about a tough guy in the media doing something so generous, but thanks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and several other donors, little Dwayne is getting the surgery he needs.

[Image via Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images for Fast Company]