On her drive home from work one afternoon in Houston, Texas, a woman spotted something that stopped her cold.
Between heaps of trash and old mattresses, two dogs were huddled together — trying to survive.
She immediately called a local rescue group, Houston Dog Outreach Guardians, for help. But when rescuers arrived the next day, they discovered that what looked like two abandoned dogs was actually an entire family struggling to stay alive.
“We went the next day to assess and set traps as they did not trust us,” rescuer Sylvia Lopez told The Dodo. “We quickly managed to trap the momma dog, and we also trapped a young female dog that we believe was her daughter from her previous litter.”
Then they realized there were even more dogs hiding among the debris — a mom, a dad, three daughters, and even a grandma.
“It was a whole family,” Lopez said. “We managed to chase behind Grandma, then she got tired of running and gave up. She didn’t put up a fight — she was just exhausted.”
The rescue team worked tirelessly from morning until night, safely securing as many dogs as they could. When darkness fell, they set humane traps for the rest.
“I went to check the traps at 5 a.m., and thankfully Daddy and puppy were trapped safely,” Lopez said.
Only one dog — the youngest daughter — was still missing. Lopez left one final trap and went to reunite the rescued pups with their family.
You can watch the rescue here:
Later that day, she returned and found the last missing girl waiting patiently inside the trap.
Finally, the entire family was safe.
At the rescue’s holding facility, the transformation began almost immediately. Once the dogs had warm beds and full bellies, their fear began to melt away.
“Two-year-old Momma — now named Naomi — was very sweet and trusting,” Lopez said. “The 8-month-old daughters were timid and scared, but now they’re warming up. They’re very sweet girls. The 2-month-old baby — Abigail — was scared too but is now playful and happy.”
Thomas, the dad, is still shy but finds comfort when his family is near. And Grandma, at 10 years old, is the picture of wisdom and warmth — gentle with everyone and always eager for long walks.
The youngest daughters, Shannon and Christel, are staying with Grandma at the rescue for now, while Naomi, Thomas, and Abigail have all moved into loving foster homes.
After everything they’ve been through — abandoned, hungry, and surrounded by trash — this remarkable family never gave up on each other.
Now, for the first time in their lives, they don’t have to fight to survive. They just get to be loved.
To support Houston Dog Outreach Guardians and help more families like Naomi’s, visit them on Facebook.
