At 14 years old, the black Lab mix sat quietly in her kennel at Dallas Animal Services, her gray muzzle pressed against the bars. Her eyes — tired and confused — seemed to ask what she had done wrong.
The note on her kennel card told a heartbreaking story: her owner had surrendered her right after Thanksgiving and asked that she be euthanized.
She was thin and frail, with only two teeth, difficulty walking, and a diagnosis of heartworm. Most people passed her by.
But then, strangers began to share her story online — and those small acts of kindness changed everything.
When Tommy Bull, from Crowley, Texas, saw her photo, he couldn’t look away.
“I looked at her eyes and she looked like she had given up,” Bull told The Dodo. “She was a black dog, a senior, and heartworm positive — she had little chance of getting saved. The holidays are one of the worst times of the year for dogs. A lot of people turn them in to shelters.”
Determined to give her a second chance, Bull reached out to CAMO Rescue, who arranged her release. When he arrived, shelter staff gently carried the wobbly senior out to him.
“The moment they put her in my arms, I hugged her tight,” Bull said. “I wanted her to know she was safe. I fell in love with her instantly.”
He drove her home and introduced her to his wife — and within minutes, she had won both of their hearts. They named her Ettie, short for Henrietta.
“We gave her a lot of attention and introduced her to our other rescue dogs, she had no problem,” Bull said.
In the Bulls’ warm home, Ettie began to heal. They gave her soft, nutritious food, arthritis medication, and treatment for her heartworms. Slowly, she regained her strength.
The love and care Ettie has received is starting to show. She now wanders around the backyard and loves walking with the Bulls’ other rescued dogs.
“She’s put on weight, and she’s even started wandering around the backyard again,” Bull said.
“When I hold up the leash, she knows it means she’s going out. Sometimes she even takes off down to the corner — she can walk pretty fast now.”
For the first time in a long while, Ettie was home — truly home.
“This little girl stole my heart,” Bull said. “She’s learning to love all the attention and affection we give her.”
Word of Ettie’s rescue spread online, and everyone who had shared her story celebrated her Christmas miracle.
Now, Ettie spends her days surrounded by love — with warm meals, gentle walks, and a family who sees her not as a burden, but as a gift.
Bull hopes others will consider doing the same for a senior dog.
“What they give back to you is incredible,” he said. “You can tell how grateful they are — for every meal, every touch, every bit of love. Her life matters to us. And if you can open your heart and try, they’ll thank you every single day.”
