There are many pets from all around the world that are left behind. Owners are often faced with the tough decision of whether to take their pets along with them or not. This could be due to many things: money, health, or family. Surely, no one wants to leave their pets behind, but sometimes it can be the only option.
In this dog rescue story, we don’t really know why the owners disappeared and abandoned the poor little chihuahua. But, what we do know is that a man with a kind heart did his best to rescue her and find her a home.
One day, a Los Angeles-based dog rescue team received a text, telling them that there was an abandoned house with a chihuahua living in the yard. One rescuer was informed that the owner may have left the dog behind. The person said that he was unsure whether the owner had passed away or just moved, but regardless, there was now a puppy to be rescued.
Upon reaching the property, it was clear that it was in a state of disarray and chaos. There were piles of rubble and scraps everywhere. The lot was poorly looked after. Besides being dangerous for the dog, it was also not a place that would’ve been inviting for anyone.
The rescuer didn’t take long and managed to find the puppy shortly after arriving. The dog was anxious and began avoiding the man. It would run and duck under scraps so as not to be caught. He attempted to call it but to no avail. It just kept on running away with every attempt, but the rescuer kept following it around. But the little dog kept on hiding.
While trying to get the dog to come to him, the rescuer found a small dish of food and water that some of the kind construction workers nearby might have laid out for the puppy. There was even a small blanket. Despite the current situation, it was somehow a relief to see that someone is still trying to help the dog in whatever little way they can.
He persisted, trying to invite the pup to come to him. But still no progress, the pup didn’t want to engage and decided that it was going to try and bail. It headed out for the road, a dangerous prospect that the rescuer immediately tried to stop. He spent a good chunk of his time trying to look for where she could have gone. Luckily, he managed to get her back into the yard.
Having no luck before and not wanting the dog to escape, it seemed that the best option was to fence in the area. He immediately went to the back of his van and took out a set of plastic fences and corralled the puppy in. They even feared the pup would go under the house, making it even more complicated.
After whistling and coaxing for a while, he decided that offering food might be a better solution. He threw some treats while keeping a certain distance, but it, likewise, had no effect.
It was starting to seem impossible to get to her. So, he then decided that closing the dog into a smaller area might be better. He took a few more of the fences and made a smaller perimeter, closing it once he got the dog to enter it. At long last, that did the trick!
He was able to keep her in a small area, but she panicked and tried to run away. When she couldn’t, she started growling and barking at him. It shows how she’s afraid and does not have much trust for humans. Throughout the process of trying to calm her, he thought it best to get a net to not give her the chance to jump over the fence. He says that even though the net can be quite stressful for animals, it’s a lot safer than trying to approach them immediately.
Slowly, the chihuahua calmed down and seemed to not put up a fight anymore. The rescuer mentioned that even if the dog seemed calm, he still had to keep his guard up. He was right. Upon trying to put a leash around her, she resisted. Which led him to his last resort — to carry her using the net. The chihuahua was wiggling and trying to escape as he brought her to his car.
Inside, he opened up the net and gently moved her to the blanket in the seat next to him. Throughout the car ride, she seemed to have eased up and was a bit more relaxed, which was a good sign. The rescuer decided to call her Kitty.
When they arrived at the pet hospital, she was introduced to another rescue. A cat! They didn’t seem to mind each other and were both generally calm. They then proceeded to give her a bath and a general check-up. She was also spayed and microchipped for safety.
From the hospital, a group that fosters small dogs called Tobie’s Small Dog Rescue offered to foster Kitty and find her a home. After a couple of weeks, they managed to find her a loving family and forever home!
Kitty is now named Baby and is happier than ever.
As we have mentioned before, dogs are lifetime commitments and it really is a disservice to your pets if you don’t make sure that you have a plan for them in case of emergencies and accidents. While not everyone can afford all the fancy protection for their dogs, reaching out to a friend or a loved one and letting them know what you’d want to happen to your dogs in case something happens to you is the best thing for your dog.
Rescues like this aren’t the easiest, so it really is a testament to the rescuer’s passion for saving dogs and giving them a better life. If you’re interested in seeing more of their rescues, the video is available below.
There are more rescue stories about various dogs around the world. If you would like to read more of those, feel free to check them out here on our website.
