Tessa, an adorable blind rescue pup, regains ability to walk

If you're an animal lover, grab the tissues. This story is a real tearjerker.

An adorable pup named Tessa was dropped off at a Los Angeles shelter in early January. Thin, malnourished, blind and unable to walk, she was scheduled to be euthanized.

Then Annie Hart came to her rescue.

Hart, the executive director of the Beverly Hills-based rescue organization the Bill Foundation, heard about Tessa, a Havanese mix, from a shelter worker and took her into her own home.

As part of her rehabilitation, Tessa underwent a variety of tests and scans, including an MRI which determined that the pup had hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain," which led to her blindness. It also likely led to Tessa developing vertical nystagmus, an ophthalmological condition that causes dizziness. These conditions combined could explain why Tessa couldn't walk.

"The initial prognosis was very grim," Hart told the Huffington Post. "Her doctors agreed that it was very likely a hospice situation."

Hart was determined to help the little dog and immediately introduced Tessa to a rehabilitation regiment that included both Western and Eastern medical treatments, even acupuncture.

Within days, Tessa started responding to the treatment. First, she responded to light. Then, she started to get back on her feet.

While Tessa is still mostly blind, she can walk, run and feed herself again.

Watch Tessa playing with another dog here.

"Doctors are in awe. Nobody expected her to make this much progress," Hart said, calling Tessa's recovery "magical." "She was truly a shell of a dog when she first came home with me. It's been like watching a lotus blossom."

Hart is now looking for a permanent home for Tessa.

"Even with her medical limitations, Tessa is one of the happiest dogs we have ever met. She is full of joy, a delight to care for and eager to learn new things," the Bill Foundation writes about the cute dog.