This past August, dog rescuer Audray Luck got a call about a dumped dog who needed her help. When she arrived at the pup’s location, he ran away and she lost track of him.
“He was so scared,” Luck said on Instagram.
Luck set up a trap for the dog, hoping
he might return to the area — but he never did. Luck was heartbroken and thought she’d never see him again.
Then, three weeks later, Luck got a text about a stray dog who’d been wandering around someone’s property. When Luck saw a photo of the pup, she did a double take.
“[T]o my surprise, it was him,” Luck said.
As Luck kept reading the message, she realized the dog’s situation was dire. The woman who’d found the pup explained that he’d been wandering around near her boyfriend’s dad’s house, and that the man was threatening to kill the dog.
Luck was horrified. She immediately sprang into action, knowing that if she didn’t act immediately, the dog’s life could be in danger.
“With the threat of him being shot, I knew I’d have to work quickly,” Luck said.
Because the dog was so skittish, Luck wasn’t able to trap him right away. She spent hours trying to gain his trust bit by bit, giving him food and treats to let him know he was safe with her.
“Every time I’d get close to him, he would run from me,” Luck said.
After several days of effort, the dog finally got comfortable. He let Luck pet him and started wagging his tail. At that point, he felt safe enough to just follow her to her car and hop in — no trap needed.
“He let his guard down for just a minute, and at this point I knew I could get him,” Luck said.
Luck decided to name the sweet dog Theodore. She was amazed by how loving and friendly he was once he realized he was safe. Thanks to Luck, Theodore not only escaped a life-threatening situation, but he learned what love was for the first time.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for Theodore to get adopted. Luck was overjoyed that the dog, who'd been through so much, finally had his happy ending.
“All he needed was patience, trust and love, and that’s exactly what I gave him,” Luck said.
