Recently, a woman named Summer was visiting a small shop in a rural Chinese village when she noticed movement underneath a parked digger truck outside. Summer, a longtime animal activist and rescuer with Harbin SHS Animal Rescue, immediately suspected something was up.
“At first she thought it might have been a cat or rubbish blowing around,” Harbin SHS Animal Rescue founder Hayley Hayes told The Dodo. “But when she looked closer, she saw a tiny puppy wedged underneath the machinery. He was trying to make himself as small and invisible as possible.”
According to Hayes, the scene outside was typical for rural China. Large vehicles raced by, kicking up dust; villagers hurried across the sidewalk. In all the commotion, the quiet puppy faded into
the background.
“Honestly, it would have been very easy for nobody to notice him at all,” Hayes said.
But Summer had noticed, and she was ready to do something. The rescuer contacted her network and removed the pup from the dangerous situation.
“He wasn’t aggressive, just frozen with fear,” Hayes said. “He kept trying to press himself further underneath the vehicle and didn’t really understand that anyone was trying to help him. He also seemed exhausted and emotionally shut down.”
The puppy was dirty, underweight and covered in fleas, but didn’t have any major injuries. Rescuers could tell he’d been surviving on his own for quite some time.
For now, rescuers are keeping the puppy in a safe quarantine area, where they can monitor him for diseases. Once he’s confirmed to be healthy, they’ll introduce him to other rescue dogs at the facility.
Mere weeks after his rescue, team members can already see the pup’s true personality shining through.
“He’s incredibly gentle and affectionate, but still cautious at times,” Hayes said. “You can tell he wants to trust people.”
Rescuers are so grateful to Summer for taking the time to help this vulnerable animal. Thanks to Summer, this pup will get to live the life he deserves.
“Most people would have walked straight past,” Hayes said. “Compassion often starts with simply noticing.”
