One of the saddest things I’ve ever seen on the street was a stray dog digging through garbage just to find something edible.
It’s heartbreaking what dogs like this endure every day. So many go hungry simply because they can’t find enough food to stay healthy.
People usually aren’t kind to them either, so these animals can’t count on humans to step in when they need support.
This particular dog had been surviving by swiping food from a Starbucks and scavenging what little she could. Worst of all, she was in Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, where resources were limited.
Fortunately, her life began to shift in a positive direction after she encountered someone who truly cared.
Still A Chance For Hope
When Zach Lacher first came across the stray dog outside Starbucks, he was devastated by how poor her condition looked.
He told The Dodo: “When she got closer, I was able to see how rough of shape her fur was in.“
Zach started asking around about this specific dog and learned that local officials had tried to catch her before but weren’t able to.
That made it clear she had been in the area for a while, and she stayed wary of people who tried to approach.
Zach wanted to do something. He returned that night and waited in hopes of seeing her again. To his surprise, she showed up that same evening.
The problem was, she was incredibly hard to catch. She didn’t trust humans at all and was constantly chased away by a group of other dogs also living nearby.
The next day, Zach brought a humane trap to try and rescue her, but she was nowhere to be found.
She remained close to the canyon in Arizona, so Zach set out to locate her. He said: “So we put the drone up in the air, and we flew it down. I was probably flying it for about an hour, and I was checking the nooks and crannies, and I saw her big, puffy, white tail.”
A New Beginning For Haseya
Once they found her location, the next challenge was actually getting her. But unexpectedly, the pup began following the drone back.
Zach didn’t know what made her do it, but he was incredibly thankful. When she came near, they used food to draw her in, which worked since she was clearly starving.
She realized the food was inside the trap and lingered near it.
At first, she was unsure, but in time, she walked right in. Once inside, Zach was able to close the trap gently.
Interestingly, she didn’t resist at all. In fact, once she noticed she was finally safe, she seemed completely at ease.
Zach brought the dog, now named Haseya, back to his home. Since he already had a cat named Jack, he was a bit unsure about how the two would get along.
He said: “And I was so ecstatic and pleasantly surprised when the first time they met, rubbing their faces against each other and playing.”
Turns out he didn’t need to worry: these two became instant friends. It’s amazing to see how gentle and loving Haseya was, even after all she had endured. She truly deserved this fresh start and a peaceful life.