MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — His name is Franco, and life hasn’t been easy for the pup.

A Blaine woman says she saw the 1-and-a-half-year-old Pit Bull punted by kids in a local park. She then contacted a rescue organization, and Secondhand Hounds stepped in.

“It’s hard to know a dog like [Franco] — who is quite obviously friendly to everyone — that somebody would do something horrible like that,” said Rachel Mairose of Secondhand Hounds.

Witnesses say the kids who kicked the dog got away, and no police report was filed after the reported incident.

“They probably thought it was a fun game to punt a puppy around that was already feeling crappy,” Mairose said.

When Franco came to Secondhand Hounds, he could hardly stand up, and he was visibly sick with parvovirus.

But Franco’s healing has begun, and vets are treating his virus and contemplating surgery.

Donations have been coming in for his vet bills, and he also has a new foster mom.

Here are several ways to help the little dog out:

There will be a cupcake fundraiser at Sweet Retreat in Edina on Friday: http://thesweetretreatmn.com/

To track Franco’s progress, click here.

To donate to his recovery, click here.