On the bustling streets of Bali, Indonesia, a small brown puppy was doing her best to survive.
Alone and scared, she took shelter in a drain pipe along the edge of a busy road, her hazel eyes barely visible as she peeked out, hoping someone would notice her.
Most cars zipped by too fast to see her — but then everything changed.
“My partner was leaving for the gym when he spotted her,” said Aubrey V Lynn. “He drove past at first, but couldn’t shake the image of her little face in that drain. So he turned around and messaged me right away.”
The puppy, later named Charlie, had found the right people at just the right time.
Lynn and her partner rushed to help, but Charlie was nervous. She would cautiously emerge from the drain, only to back away when they approached. They knew they had to be patient — and careful — so she wouldn’t dart into traffic.
To lure her out, they bought food from a local pet shop and returned to the spot. Still, Charlie remained hesitant. “We spent hours trying to coax her out,” Lynn said. “But she wouldn’t let us get close.”
After more than a day of trying, they finally gave up — or so they thought.
“As we were getting back on our scooter to leave, she ran right up to us,” Lynn recalled. “It was like something just clicked. The moment we touched her, she instantly relaxed.”
They brought Charlie home, not thinking beyond the rescue. But it quickly became clear — this wasn’t temporary.
“We hadn’t planned on adopting a dog,” Lynn said. “But I think both of us knew, without saying it, that she was already part of our family.”
Charlie adjusted faster than they could have imagined. Despite her rough start, she embraced life in a home as if she’d been waiting for it all along. A little timid at first, she quickly warmed up and began to thrive.
“She just wanted love,” Lynn said. “It was so sweet to see her trust us.”
Now, Charlie spends her days playing in the yard and curling up with the people who saved her. What started as a gym trip turned into a life-changing moment — and a family of two is now a family of three.
You can follow Charlie’s journey and daily joy on Instagram.
