Reader Rescue Stories: Bandit, Bailey and Millie

Bandit

This week’s stories are about three small dogs. One was dumped on the side of the road and the other two were just moments away from being euthanized. We hope you enjoy reading their remarkable stories as much as we did.

If you are the pet parent of a rescued dog, we want to share your story, too! For information about submitting your story, click here.

Found by the Curb, Bandit is Rescued by a Kind Stranger
By Katrin

In November, my dog, Sunny, and I were making our rounds like we do every morning. Just one block away from home, we noticed a couple of people standing by the curb, talking and pointing. Curious, we approached and saw a dog. She was sitting on the street with her body pressed against the curb. She was tiny, afraid and shivering.

She had no collar, just a piece of dirty string tied around her neck. Since none of the bystanders exhibited any real interest in this tiny creature, I decided to take her home … for now.

I put Sunny’s leash on the little dog and off we went, which was not an easy task since the little one did not know anything about leashes, let alone walking with a human. At home, I solicited the help of a friend, and together we brought “Tiny” into my house, where she proceeded to pee on the kitchen rug.

We decided to take her to the vet to see if she was microchipped. It turned out that she was most likely a Min Pin mix no older than 4 or 5 months. She still had her baby teeth, but no microchip. Luckily she was healthy, with a good heartbeat.

Back home, Sunny was already excited to see her new friend again. The connection between the two dogs was immediate and heartwarming. I, however, was not so sure. I like bigger dogs with hair – and here was this scrawny, little, bony thing, all eyes and ears – not my type of dog.

Then again, I believe that things happen for a reason.

Just a few months ago, I had to put down my beloved cat, Karlsun, who was also black, tiny and skinny, with big eyes and ears. What was the meaning in all of this? I asked myself. What was I supposed to learn?

To make a long story short, “Tiny” is still with me. I named her Bandit, because she looks like she’s wearing a mask. She sure stole my heart and Sunny’s, too.

We are in the process of housetraining her and making progress. Bandit is smart, and eager to learn and please. What we love most about her is her playful, cheerful and friendly personality. I laugh out loud when she plays by herself or with Sunny. She can do somersaults, which are amazingly entertaining!

I did not think that I would connect to Bandit like I did, being that she wasn’t my type of dog. I guess I learned to look beyond her appearance and into her heart and soul, and discovered she was irresistible. We all know, in theory, not to judge a book by its cover, and Bandit reminded me of this. I am so grateful for the lesson.

Millie and Bailey

Two Dogs Rescued for the Price of One
By Amy

I saw a thread through a rescue 10 days ago about a “scared and depressed Chihuahua,” and my heart sank.

She was supposed to have been euthanized the week before, but a shelter employee fell in love with her and wanted to save her, so they extended her date.

I knew I had to do everything possible to save this sweet baby. We are preparing to move, so I could not bring her home for two months. I was desperate not only to save her, but to ensure she had a loving place to stay until we got settled. I emailed every rescue and person I knew about fostering her. I offered to pay for everything, including pull fees and all foster care, until I could take her.

I heard nothing for six whole days! I was up day and night checking for anything and got nothing. Finally a sweet woman said she would foster her. The only problem she was that she lived in Modesto, eight hours away! How was I going to get the dog there? And how was I going to be able to check her out?

Turns out, the woman had already rescued several dogs and found homes for two of them. Then another great lady emailed and said she would meet me halfway – she even knew the foster mom! Oh my God, I thought to myself, could this really work out?

The day before I was to leave, the foster mom contacted me and said she had room for one more. She suggested a dog called Thumper. I said, Of course! And off I went to buy another kennel, leash, food and some treats for Thumper.

I arrived at the shelter the following morning and found out that Thumper had been adopted, which was fantastic news, but I still had room for one more dog.

So I asked the lady who had helped me with Bailey, and she recommended Millie, a Chi mix estimated to be between 4 and 5 years old. She was an owner surrender and scheduled to be euthanized soon.

I said, “YES! I’ll take her!”

I left a few hours later with Bailey and Millie. We stayed in a warm hotel and they slept next to me the whole night under new blankets and toys! They ate and were perfect.

I know my foster will find a great home for Millie, as she is nothing short of a perfect dog. But I can’t wait to get my Bailey back. I think of her non-stop.

This was so hard, being my first rescue and doing it alone. I could have never rescued Millie and Bailey if it weren’t for Rosalie and Velvet, two fantastic ladies. Without them, none of this would have happened.

We saved two sweet babies, and now they get to have the lives they deserve.

Sonya Simpkins

Sonya Simpkins is a contributing writer for i Love Dogs, Inc. In her spare time, she loves to take her dogs for long hikes and treks to the beach, out to eat and on long road trips across the county. She then turns those adventures into useful advice for other dog parents who also love to take their dogs with them wherever they go.