His time was running out. No one knows what was going through his mind as he lay in the cramped, dark bag. The little orange tabby was severely injured and at death's door when she found him.

The woman from Alberta, Canada had stepped out to dump her trash, when she noticed a large backpack in the garbage can. As she stepped closer to investigate, the bag moved slightly.

Startled, she leaned in closer and unzipped the knapsack. Inside was another bag, tied up tightly. She and her partner decided to open the second bag, but what they saw inside broke their hearts.

Looking back at them was an orange tabby, so badly broken and dehydrated that he could barely move. It was clear that he had been seriously abused and left to die.

Knowing that he was in bad shape, the woman and her partner called for help from the Alberta Animal Services. The agency members who came to his aid couldn't believe how someone could have done this.

"[It] was one of the most devastating animal abuse cases Alberta Animal Services has seen," the organization wrote in a post about the little orange cat.

His rescuers decided to name him Hiro Stanley, although they did everything they could to save him, no one was sure he would survive the night...

Little Hero endured multiple surgeries and spent weeks recovering in the hospital. Throughout his entire experience, he never gave up the will to fight - to survive.

Little by little, he grew stronger. Soon, he was standing and eating on his own under the watchful eye of his caregivers.

As soon as he was able to stand, he walked up to his caregivers to give them snuggles of gratitude.

"He is so affectionate despite all that he has gone through. As soon as he hears or sees the animal nurses he starts purring and demands cuddles," Alberta Animal Services tells Love Meow.

Hiro would remain in the care of Alberta Animal Services for 50 days, and against all odds, he survived.  "Together we got Hiro through hell and back," writes the agency.

In less than two months, Hiro made a full recovery and was finally ready for his forever home. With happy tears in their eyes, the caregivers at Alberta Animal Services said goodbye to their sweet ginger boy.

After careful screening, a new family has adopted sweet Hiro Stanley and even donated 25% of the next 10 feline adoption fees to give back to the community.

Now, one year later, Hiro is a happy, healthy kitty. He is surrounded by the love and affection of his family who give him constant kitty cuddles.

A special party for Hiro is being planned by Alberta Animal Services to celebrate his journey to recovery on June 17 2017 from 12-5 pm.

If you want to know more about Hiro's story and get updates, visit his Facebook page here. Learn more about the work being done by Alberta Animal Services here.

[h/t LoveMeow]