Inside a crowded shelter at the southernmost tip of South Texas, a frightened mother dog did the only thing she knew how to do — protect her baby.
Pressed against the cinder block wall of their kennel, the small puppy hid her face beneath her mom’s leg, trembling as a volunteer filmed the heartbreaking scene. The mother stood rigid, shaking herself, trying to block the world from reaching her only pup.
Time was running out for them. The shelter was overwhelmed, and without someone stepping forward to foster or adopt the bonded pair, neither would survive.
Rescue Dogs Rock, a foster-based rescue in New York City, shared the video on Facebook along with a desperate plea.
“Momma Sadie doesn’t know what to do,” the rescue wrote. “She knows she and her baby, Benzy, are in danger. Baby Benzy is so petrified she hides behind her mom, hoping she can protect her — like all moms try to do for their children.”
“They were absolutely terrified, especially the baby,” Stacey Silverstein, cofounder of Rescue Dogs Rock, told The Dodo. “They just needed someone to help them.”
That someone turned out to be Dava Hammack.
When Hammack saw the video pop up on her Facebook feed, she was stunned that the dogs were still stuck in the shelter despite thousands of shares.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Hammack told The Dodo. “It had been shared over 1,600 times, and no one had stepped up?”
Hammack lived more than nine hours away and already had four rescue dogs at home, but she couldn’t ignore what she’d seen.
“I told them, ‘I’ll do whatever I need to do. I’ll drive nine hours. I’ll make it work,’” she said.
With the help of local volunteers, Sadie and Benzy were transported across Texas, passing through Austin and San Antonio before finally reaching Fort Worth, where Hammack was waiting. Once inside the cool, quiet car, the dogs seemed to understand they were finally safe.
“My daughter watched them the whole way home,” Hammack said. “The mama put her head over the baby, and they slept.”
Though relieved to be out of the shelter, Sadie remained intensely protective of her puppy.
“If you pick the baby up, the mama follows you like, ‘Where are you taking her?’” Hammack said. “She’s always checking on her.”
Introducing the pair to Hammack’s other rescue dogs took patience. Sadie didn’t trust anyone near Benzy at first, while Benzy — curious and brave — was eager to play.
“The baby opened up fast,” Hammack said. “She went straight for the toys and even steals them from my big dogs.”
Little by little, Sadie learned that her puppy was safe. Within a week, all six dogs were playing together, going outside as a pack, and settling into a routine.
Over the following weeks, Sadie’s fear slowly melted away.
“She’s incredibly loving,” Hammack said. “She wants to be held like a baby herself. She just wants to be close.”
While Sadie and Benzy’s future home hasn’t been decided yet, one thing is non-negotiable — they will stay together.
After everything they’ve endured, this devoted mom and her brave little girl will never be separated again.
To find out how you can adopt Sadie and Benzy, you can fill out an application here. To help other shelter dogs in need find homes, you can make a donation to Rescue Dogs Rock.
