This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog!
In the winter of 2006 there was a dog wandering the streets of our neighborhood. Several people were leaving food out for her and she would huddle up near someone’s house at night, usually undetected. We began leaving food out too, and we made her a little shelter out of storage bins, and put a blanket in it with a heating pad that we ran off the Christmas lights. I don’t know if she ever used it, but we were worried about her since it was so cold that year.
Some nights we would go looking for her and she would come out from her hiding spots and follow our car. If we stopped, she would stop and sit down behind the car, but if we tried to get close, she would run off.
One day, my husband was working in the front yard and the dog came around. Not too close, but he saw her watching him. He decided to go into the backyard and see if she would follow. Sure enough a few minutes later she came into the backyard. He closed the gate and her shyness evaporated almost immediately.
We put flyers up all over and searched the lost ads, but no one ever claimed her. Since her hair was matted to her skin, we called her Matti.
Matti is now a registered therapy dog and she works with abused and neglected children to help end the cycle of violence. She has been a wonderful companion and we are so lucky that she adopted us.
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Story submitted by Melissa Dolezal from Tucson, AZ.
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!
