At a busy recycling center on the docks of San Pedro, California, sanitation workers were stunned when they discovered something unusual among the piles of discarded items. It wasn’t trash at all — it was a dog.
“This baby was dumped at a recycling plant on the docks,” Suzette Hall, founder of Logan’s Legacy 29 dog rescue, shared on Facebook.
The workers tried desperately to catch the frightened pup, but their chase only terrified him more. Cornered at the edge of the dock with nowhere to run, the dog leapt into the Pacific Ocean.
“He swam for his life and ended up taking refuge under a bridge,” Hall wrote. “Sometimes, the tide would come up so high that it would cover up to his chest.”
From then on, the scared pup made the underside of the dock his hiding place, well out of reach.
The sanitation workers set up a feeding station and watched over him with cameras, hoping they could lure him safely out.
But after a month of failed attempts, they called in help.
That’s when Hall arrived.
When she first spotted the dog trembling under the dock, her heart broke. She tried every rescue tactic she knew, but he refused to come near.
“I tried everything to trap him,” Hall wrote. “He was just so scared.”
As night fell, Hall had no choice but to pause. Still, she refused to give up. The workers kept her updated with camera footage each time the pup crept up to eat, and Hall returned again and again — two nights, three nights, with no success.
On the third failed attempt, she went home discouraged and prayed for a miracle.
“I was exhausted and discouraged,” Hall wrote.
The next morning, that miracle came. Not long after she set her trap, Hall finally heard the sound she’d been waiting for: the clang of the trap door shutting.
Inside was the dog — safe at last.
The workers gently carried the pup, now named Buddy, to Hall’s van, and she rushed him to the vet. To everyone’s relief, Buddy was in good health and soon moved into a foster home.
Today, Buddy is thriving. The once-scared dock dog now spends his days snuggling on soft beds, playing with toys, and soaking up love from his foster family. He’s waiting for his forever home, but for now, he’s finally safe.
“This morning was the miracle,” Hall said.
Anyone interested in adopting Buddy can reach out to Suzette Hall on Facebook. To support rescues like his, donations can be made to Camino Pet Hospital under Logan’s Legacy 29.
