Meet Zoomie a stray Rhodesian mix puppy who needed a helping hand after her family abandoned her in the woods.
At only 4 months old, she had to fend for herself. She found a stream nearby to stay hydrated and took shelter under a row of olive trees lining the side of a road.
She waited there for over a week, hoping that her family or a helper would come to find her.
A Good Samaritan saw the puppy curled up on the side of the road one day and started bringing her burritos every time he drove by. He then called Adams County Pet Rescue (ACPR) to let them know that there was a young dog who needed help.
ACPR’s director, Kya Grant, responded to the call with one of her staff members. As soon as she got there, she realized that the rescue wouldn’t be a quick one.
“She was so scared and barking so much,” Grant told The Dodo. “Dogs in this situation are really hard to catch.”
Instead of trying to corral the scared puppy into the crate, Grant decided to slowly gain her trust. She put the crate away and started talking to the pup, reassuring her that she was OK.
The puppy was still too scared to let Grant get close, so the dedicated rescuer decided to try something different.
“I left briefly, went back that night, put some food out and talked to her some more,” Grant said.
The dog was still wary, but Grant could tell that she recognized her because she was hardly barking. Grant poured a mound of kibble on the ground, and the puppy slowly came out of her hiding place.
The puppy took a few bites of food before reaching up and placing her head in her rescuer’s hand.
The next morning, Grant went back to the side of the road where the puppy had been. To her surprise, the puppy not only recognized her rescuer but was over the moon to see her.
“She was so excited,” Grant said.
The puppy was clearly thrilled to see that someone had finally come back for her, and she celebrated by running laps around the road.
“She got all bouncy and zoomie,” Grant said. “That’s why we ended up calling her Zoomie.”
When it was time to bring Zoomie home, Grant worried that she might not go into the crate on her own. So she decided to reach down and pick the puppy up herself.
“She didn’t react at all,” Grant said. “She let me pick her up, so I put her in the crate and came straight home.”
Grant took Zoomie to ACPR, where the pup received medical care and an official spot on the rescue’s list of adoptees.
It took her a little time to come out of her shell, but with the help of shelter staff who also paired her up with a calm dog friend to help relax her Zoomie started to become more comfortable with her surroundings.
Not long after, a couple stopped by the shelter and instantly fell in love with Zoomie. They put in an adoption application as quickly as they could, and soon Zoomie had a forever family of her own.
According to Grant, Zoomie is in love with her new life. When she’s not running around with her friends at doggy day care, she’s usually enjoying a cozy nap with her new dog sister.
The staff miss Zoomie, but will always remember the sweet puppy and her heartwarming rescue fondly.
“She’s just the cutest thing,” Grant said.
Source: Daily dodo
