While on vacation in Bryson City, North Carolina, Krystal Capone and Zachary Hughes noticed a dog sitting quietly by the side of the road. At first, they assumed he belonged to someone nearby.
But the next day, they spotted him again — this time miles away, at the bottom of a steep mountain. Something wasn’t right.
Thinking he might have gotten lost, they gently coaxed him into their car and drove him back to the neighborhood where they’d first seen him.
But no one recognized him or came forward to claim him. So, unsure what else to do, they brought him back to their Airbnb.
“He just seemed exhausted,” Capone told The Dodo. “I loved him instantly.”
They shared his photo on local lost dog pages, and soon messages poured in. The truth was devastating: his former family had abandoned him — all because he’d chewed up something in their house.
Heartbroken, Capone and Hughes knew they couldn’t leave him behind. They decided to keep him and named him Bryson, after the city where their paths had crossed.
“He was definitely nervous at first,” Capone said. “But he’s such a good dog — he was just so happy to be with us.”
What Capone didn’t know was that Hughes had been secretly planning to propose during their trip. With all their time suddenly focused on caring for Bryson, he worried his plans might fall apart.
But instead, he embraced the unexpected turn of events.
On a waterfall hike, with Bryson happily trotting by their side, Hughes proposed. “Bryson is in all of our engagement pictures,” Capone said.
The couple even canceled their flight home, choosing instead to drive back with their new family member. A few days later, Hurricane Helene swept through the area where Bryson had been stranded. The timing of his rescue couldn’t have been more perfect.
“What would he have done if he was just stranded?” Capone said.
Back home, Bryson was introduced to his new family — three kids, a French bulldog, and a mini goldendoodle. The children were stunned when Capone and Hughes walked in with him.
“[The kids] all ran to him, and I was like, ‘This is Bryson. He’s ours,’” Capone said. “They were like, ‘What?!’”
Now, Bryson is loved by everyone and has fully settled into his forever home. For Capone, the experience was a powerful reminder of the importance of rescue.
“I encourage people to think of other options rather than purchasing dogs,” she said.
Bryson may have started out waiting alone by the roadside, but now he has what he was searching for all along — a family who will never let him go.
