So here is Lazarus, aged four.

He was taken in by the Ozark Animal Shelter, in Alabama. As the Two By Two Animal Rescue Facebook page explains: "In a lot of American animal shelters, the truth is this. An animal is given a "put to sleep" (aka PTS) date which is written on their intake card that is on their cage. The PTS date rarely has anything to do with the animal but rather the lack of space, funding, or staff. "

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As ITV reports: "Having already survived being hit by a car, with a cut leg and a missing pad on his left rear paw, the dog was in a poor state and failed to attract a new owner."

As ITV reports : "Having already survived being hit by a car, with a cut leg and a missing pad on his left rear paw, the dog was in a poor state and failed to attract a new owner."

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That evening, a vet came to put to sleep the dogs on the list to die. After euthanizing the dogs, he verifies that the heartbeat has ceased. As he checked this particular dog, he heard a faint heartbeat and euthanized him again. He rechecked his heartbeat and signed off on the records that the 4 year old black shepherd mix was dead.

When the staff arrived in the morning, to their shock the dog was looking at them. He had even eaten his left over food from the day before. Though scared and wobbly, he was sitting in his cage alive!