Everything that a stray dog wants is a place where they can rest without fear and feel the warmth and affection of their family. Many dogs roam the streets, holding on to the hope that someone will finally see them.
For one dog in New York, that moment came on a cold autumn morning.
The pup had curled up under a parked car, trembling and struggling to stay awake.
He had been through a lot, yet he refused to give up, believing in a better tomorrow. He tried to stay warm and huddled close to the little heat the car offered.
The dog couldn’t have known that his life was about to change for the better.
A Frightening Morning Discovery
It was early in the morning when Daniela woke up and found out that something was wrong outside. Her husband had stepped out for work at 4 a.m. and noticed a strange shape under their car.
When Daniela went to investigate, she found a dog, later named Petey, lying between the front tires. He was terribly malnourished and scared.
“My husband leaves to go to work at 4 a.m.,” she said in an interview. “As he left the house he realized there was a dog under the car, hiding on the passenger side, between the two front tires.”
Petey’s condition broke Daniela’s heart.
“His nails were long and curved and stained with urine and his nose was bleeding as if he had been locked up in a cage,” Daniela said.
Since the shelters were closed at that hour, Daniela brought him inside.
She gave him food and water and spoke to him in a kind voice until Petey trusted her.
She also gave him a bath, so that he could feel more comfortable.
Finding Help Through Social Media
In order to find a way to help him, Daniela shared videos of Petey on TikTok.
Her post reached Pitbulls and Addicts, a Staten Island rescue group, and they agreed to take him under their care later that day.
Daniela was relieved because the pup was headed to a safe place, but she could not stop wondering how he had ended up alone under her car.
Security cameras offered little information.
“I live near a church and fear someone may have dumped him,” she said. “The area I live in is not very populated, so I think they dumped him thinking he was going to pass away and the dog somehow got to where our cars were.”
The Start Of A New Life
Daniela also considered that Petey might have come from nearby.
She believed the dog had either slipped away from someone or been intentionally released. His nails were extremely long and curved. She noted that if he had been living outside on his own, his nails would have worn down naturally.
Regardless of how he arrived, Petey had been lucky to survive the night.
Thanks to Daniela, her husband and rescuers at Pitbulls and Addicts, he got a second chance at life.
Daniela watched updates of the pup as he settled into the rescue, and felt grateful.
“It was probably the first time he felt safe and he could relax,” she added.
The scared pup who hid under a car now has the possibility to realize his greatest dream, the dream of having a family.