Brady Oliveira is not just known for his great skills on the football field, but also for his immense passion for animal rescue.
Working with a local rescue group, Brady has been able to save thousands of dogs and give them a second chance at life.
It was on one of his rescue runs that Brady found a family of puppies living under a coach in the middle of winter. It was freezing, and he just knew he couldn’t leave them there.
Saving The Little Family
As soon as Brady stepped out of the vehicle, a bunch of little furry puppies came running towards him. Their mom was following their steps as well.
“We knocked on the door and unfortunately, they were not being cooperative at all. Under the Animal Control Act, if someone isn’t providing, authority has the right to take your pet from you,” Brady told The Dodo.
He couldn’t just let these puppies live there in the middle of winter because they wouldn’t have lasted for sure.
So, he grabbed all of the puppies and put them in his car.
However, this little chocolate puppy – the last one from the family – was not coming from underneath the couch.
It took almost half an hour of trying to get her out of there, but in the end, they succeeded and loaded the whole family up in the kennel.
“I just couldn’t stop thinking about this chocolate puppy, so I got her and just forced my love on her the entire ride back,” Brady said.
They found fosters for the whole family, but since Brady couldn’t stop thinking about the chocolate puppy, he decided to foster her.
“I kept thinking about it and I’m like, ‘You know what? Yeah. I’ll bring her home. I’ll foster her, and when I think she’s ready, I will find her the perfect home’,” Brady said.
Life At The Oliveira Household
When he first brought her home, this little chocolate puppy – now named Hazel – was so scared that she just stood there still.
She has never been inside a house before, and she has never been that close to humans. Everything was completely new for her.
However, after a delicious meal, a nice bath, and some desensitization, Hazel started to act like a true puppy.
She started to wag her tail, play with Brady’s dogs, and socialize with other people. Wherever Brady went, Hazel followed him.
After two months of living with Brady, Hazel was finally ready to go to her forever home.
It didn’t take long for her to get adopted…
Actually, she stayed in the family.
But, it wasn’t Brady who adopted her – it was his sister, Kallee Oliveira.
“Since rescuing Hazel & fostering her for over 2 months I could see her gravitating towards my sister. The love & bond that they have been creating has been amazing to see,” Brady wrote on his Instagram.
He now gets to be the best uncle ever to Hazel, and see her all the time for the rest of her life. Hazel is officially part of the Oliveira family.
And, for Hazel, she’s probably the most thankful for being able to come play with her cousins, Nellie & Gunnar, who are literally her best friends.
Take a look at Hazel’s rescue story from living underneath an old couch to having a beautiful new family: