As stray dogs curl up in lonely street corners, they long to find a place where they can feel safe and cared for.
Unfortunately, many strays never experience that kind of comfort. They roam from one corner to another, searching for morsels of food and trying to make it through the day. The only thing that comforts them is the unwavering hope that someone will notice them.
A little dog named Rollie clung to that hope as well. He spent weeks at a car dealership waiting for that moment. He wistfully watched people come and go, wishing that one of them would be his family.
Although he never stopped hoping for a better tomorrow, Rollie didn’t let anyone close due to his fear.
Rollie’s Lonely Vigil
Luckily, Suzette Hall, rescuer and the founder of Logan’s Legacy 29, heard about Rollie, and she headed to the dealership with volunteer Mary Nakiso. They arrived before sunrise.
Since it was early, there were no customers at the lot, and it was easy to find Rollie.
The pup had made the dealership his home, staying close to the building day after day. He seemed to believe that the right person might walk through the doors at any moment.
When the customers began to arrive, Rollie’s longing for love became more evident. The sad pup followed people one at a time, thinking that maybe this was finally it.
“He would literally follow behind them, his tiny body wagging, his eyes pleading, “Are you my family? Are you here for me?” 💔 It broke us,” Hall wrote on Facebook.
He wagged his tail as he watched every person closely. He craved love, but fear held him back.
Denisse Miranda, the woman who had been feeding him, had told the rescuers how scared he was of people. Although she was kind to him, Rollie always kept his distance.
Knowing this, Hall and Nakiso brought a humane trap. They hoped Rollie wouldn’t be able to resist the delicious food and that he would enter the crate on his own.
When the dog heard the sound of the trap, he became more frightened and bolted. And yet, he didn’t stay away. He circled back again and again. He badly wanted to trust humans again, but he didn’t know how.
A Moment Of Trust
When more customers arrived at the dealership, the rescuers worried that Rollie would disappear again.
Fortunately, something changed that morning, and Rollie stopped running from the people around him. He walked behind them slowly, trying to gather the courage he had been missing.
Nakiso then tried a new approach. While Hall ran to get more supplies, she knelt down and reached out her hand. Rollie was hesitant at first and his body trembled.
But then he leaned in and let Nakiso touch him. As she cuddled him, the pup’s fear started disappearing.
It was the moment they had been waiting for. Nakiso secured Rollie with a leash and guided him to her car. The doggo was finally safe.
“[That’s] the miracle moment …” Hall wrote.
Hall and Nakiso drove Rollie to Camino Pet Hospital where he received medical care. Soon after, he moved into a foster home.
Everyone was happy because his days of hiding in parking lots and trailing behind strangers were over.
Now he is waiting for the family who will love him the way he always hoped someone would.
We hope that his wish will soon come true. He deserves to be immensely happy.