Ethan the Dog Celebrates Reaching His Goal Weight By Reuniting with the Family Who Saved Him

Kentucky Humane Society (2)

It's a big day for Ethan the dog.

In January, a family discovered the rescue pooch abandoned and emaciated in the Kentucky Humane Society's (KHS) parking lot. Since then, the 32-pound dog has been working to recover from the neglect he experienced and regain the weight he lost. On Saturday, KHS shared some excellent, hard-earned news: Ethan reached his goal weight!

"Ethan weighed in at officially 80 lbs today! That means he is officially at his goal weight and has gained 42 lbs in the last month — more than twice his original weight of 38 lbs. Thank you all so much for your support and for following along with him on his road to recovery," the rescue wrote alongside a Facebook video of Ethan happily rolling around.

To celebrate reaching this important health milestone, Ethan reunited with the family that helped save his life. The Hendersons discovered Ethan abandoned in the KHS's parking lot on Jan. 29. The family visited the rescue to donate dog toys and spotted Ethan on their way out.

"After they dropped off their donations, they saw what they thought was a dead dog in our parking lot lying on a white towel. They stopped their vehicle and jumped out of the car. They called the adoption desk and waited outside with Ethan until our staff came out and rushed him to our veterinary ward," KHS explained in a Tuesday Facebook post about the reunion.

"Their 11-year-old son, Tatum, was understandably very upset to see a dog in such a horrific condition. They watched our Facebook page and were relieved to see the update on January 30 that Ethan was still alive," the shelter added. "They have been following Ethan's progress every day since then. A few days ago, Tatum's grandmother reached out to ask if her grandson could meet Ethan now that he is healthy. We couldn't agree more and arranged a meeting so Ethan could say a proper 'thank you' to Tatum and his family."

RELATED: Dumped in a Parking Lot, Ethan the Emaciated Dog Is Now Gaining Weight and Making Friends

Ethan brought a "Team Ethan" t-shirt and a card signed with his paw print to the reunion, specifically for Tatum, who will be turning 12 in the new few weeks.

Thanks to the Hendersons' keen eyes and concerned hearts, Ethan got a second chance at life, which he has heartily embraced. To keeps updated on his progress, visit KHS's Facebook page.