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Meet Zoomie, a stray Rhodesian-mix puppy in need of assistance after being left in the woods by her family.
She was left to fend for herself at the young age of 4 months. She took refuge beneath a row of olive trees lining the side of a road and located a nearby brook to stay hydrated.
In the hope that someone would come to aid her, she waited there for more than a week.
One day, a kind stranger noticed the puppy curled up by the side of the road and began bringing her burritos whenever he passed by. He immediately called Adams County Pet Rescue (ACPR) to inform them that a young dog was in need of assistance.
Kyya Grant, the director of ACPR, and one of her employees answered the phone. As soon as she arrived, she understood that the rescue would take some time.
Grant told The Dodo, “She was so afraid and barked so much.” “[Dogs] are exceedingly difficult to catch in this situation.”
Grant made the choice to gradually win the puppy’s trust rather than trying to force the terrified animal into the crate. She placed the container aside and began speaking to the dog, telling her that everything was fine.
The committed rescuer chose to attempt a different approach because the puppy was still too afraid to allow Grant to approach.
Grant recalled, “I went out for a little while, came back that night, put some food out, and talked to her more.”
Even though the dog was still hesitant, Grant could see that she was familiar since she barely barked. The puppy emerged from hiding after Grant dumped a pile of kibble on the ground.
Before reaching up and laying her head in her rescuer’s hand, the dog consumed a few bits of food.
This moment can be seen here:
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.”
You can watch Zoomie’s reaction here:
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.
To help dogs like Zoomie get the care they need, make a donation to Adams County Pet Rescue.
