Recently, Fresno Humane Animal Services responded to a call about a little stray puppy living all by himself outside. When the rescuers arrived at the site, they didn’t see the dog right away — but they did spot a little cardboard box.
The rescue team
approached the box, and as they got closer, they realized that the puppy they’d been looking for was huddled inside. It was raining heavily that day, and the little dog was just trying to find a safe, warm place.
“He was taking shelter from the rain and all the elements, and did not look like he was in good shape,” Fresno Humane Animal Services animal control officer Jessie Alcorn said in a video for The Dodo.
The puppy hiding in the box was so terrified and cold that he barely moved as the rescuers worked together to carefully transfer him to their vehicle.
“We were really, really gentle when we removed him,” Alcorn said.
The Fresno Humane Animal Services team decided to name the puppy Alejandro. As soon as they got Alejandro in their truck, they dried him off and wrapped him up in lots of warm blankets.
“We gave him some food, and he immediately scarfed it down,” Breana Begin, a Fresno Humane Animal Services animal control officer, said in a video for The Dodo. “Obviously he was underweight.”
Once Alejandro got the vaccines and medications he needed, Valley Animal Center volunteered to take him in. When he first arrived at the shelter, he was nervous and timid. But once he realized he was finally safe, he started coming out of his shell.
“[Y]ou started to see that kind of puppy mentality come out,” Ruben Cantu, a staff member at Valley Animal Center, said in a video for The Dodo. “He started to wag his tail when he saw us. His head would perk up when we entered the room.”
Now that Alejandro has settled in, he is available for adoption through Valley Animal Center. Because he’s such a sweet, young dog, the shelter staff are confident he would do great in any household.
“I really don’t think there’s a lot of specifics that you’re gonna need,” Cantu said. “As long as you have a happy, loving home.”
Thanks to all of the people who worked together to rescue Alejandro and bring him to safety, he now spends his nights curled up inside a cozy doghouse instead of a box. And soon, he’ll be spending his days with his forever family.
