Just days after the Fourth of July, a brown-eyed dog named Ricky was dropped off at a Los Angeles shelter. The person who brought him in claimed he was a stray — but a quick microchip scan revealed the heartbreaking truth.
Ricky’s owner had just lied to shelter staff … and walked away without a second glance.
“They looked Ricky in the eyes, lied about knowing him, then left without a second thought,” wrote Los Angeles Urgent Dogs, a network that highlights dogs in danger of euthanasia.
The 5-year-old pup didn’t understand what had happened. Overwhelmed by the barking, noise, and chaos around him, his anxiety began to spiral. Though he was gentle and affectionate one-on-one, the crowded shelter left him terrified.
After nearly a month of waiting, Ricky’s name appeared on the euthanasia list. If no one adopted him by 4 p.m. on August 10, he would be gone the next morning.
That’s when Courtney Tillia, founder of Minnie’s Mutts Rescue, saw his story on Instagram — and something deep inside told her she couldn’t look away.
“I hadn’t even met him,” Tillia told The Dodo. “But volunteers and staff kept saying how special he was. I just couldn’t stop thinking about him.”
Tillia reached out to everyone she could — fosters, adopters, anyone who might save him. But as the hours ticked by, hope began to fade. Tillia also recognized that Ricky suffered from kennel stress.
“There are so many wonderful dogs at shelters who start to exhibit signs of severe anxiety and stress from being in that environment,” Tillia said. “I’ve noticed that it’s often the ones who are most sensitive to the shelter that turn out to be the most affectionate and loving once they’re free.”
“I worked through the night trying to find somebody to take him,” she said. “By morning, I had no one. I was distraught.”
When she called the shelter the next day, she braced for the worst. But then — a miracle.
Ricky was still alive.
Tillia had no idea why his euthanasia had been delayed, but she didn’t waste a second. She jumped in her car and drove straight to the shelter. The moment Ricky saw her, his entire face lit up.
He was going home.
“He smiled the whole drive back,” Tillia said. “Sometimes you don’t have a plan — you just say yes, and figure it out later.”
Once free, Ricky rolled in the grass, sniffed the flowers, and wagged his tail like he’d never stop.
“He’s goofy, sweet, and loves playing tug-of-war with his leash,” Tillia said. “He’s just happy to be alive.”
Ricky is now recovering from kennel cough and stomach issues at a veterinary clinic — and waiting for a forever family to find him.
No one knows why his former owner left him behind, or how his life was spared that day. But what matters now is simple: Ricky’s second chance has finally begun.
If you’d like to give Ricky the home he’s been waiting for, you can reach out to Minnie’s Mutts Rescue on Instagram or Facebook.
