Picture this: you’re outside with your friend, excited to have a long trail run, when suddenly, a wiggling movement from under the bench makes you stop in your tracks. You look closely, only to see a pair of shy, scared eyes peeking out from a black trash bag. Shocking, right?
That’s exactly what happened to Sawna Guadarrama and her friend, Hilary, at the Cobb Estate Trail Head in California.
A tiny, white pup abandoned in this remote area instantly caught their attention and changed their entire plan.
The Tiny Treasure That Changed Her Plans Completely
Sawna couldn’t contain her shock. The puppy’s situation was far from perfect. He was so scared and couldn’t stop shaking. On top of everything, there was no one near him.
“He was terrified. He was shaking, he was cold, and no one was around, he was completely alone,” the runner told GeoBeats Animals.
Sawna, an ultra runner who lives in Altadena, California, with her partner, Eamon, and two other dogs, knew she couldn’t leave this helpless furball alone. She scooped him up in a heartbeat, took him home, and gave him a warm bath.
Initially assuming that he must’ve been lost, Sawna then took the pup, later named Cedar, to the vet to check him for a microchip.
In the meantime, she posted the photos of him on several different websites, hoping to reach his owners, but all she got in return was silence. There was absolutely no sign of Cedar’s owners, no matter how hard she tried to find them.
It became clear that Cedar was most likely put in a trash bag and abandoned on the site.
“I called the humane society, posted his picture on several lost dog sites, and checked for a microchip, hoping he might have been stolen rather than intentionally abandoned. It’s hard to believe someone could be so heartless,” Sawna added on Instagram.
Eventually, Sawna and her family stopped searching. They welcomed Cedar into their home temporarily until he was ready to go into a forever home. But, after only a month, the most wonderful thing happened.
Cedar’s Home, Finally
Only a month into their home, Sawna and Eamon were surprised at how fast Cedar transformed. Back then, just a puppy, he was now a large dog, even bigger than Juniper and Aspen, his doggo siblings.
What surprised them even more was how quickly they fell in love with him. A month was enough for the couple to realize that Cedar was a keeper – and a foster fail.
He was now officially a member of his new family, a treasure once found that they decided to keep. And, it felt so rewarding! After all, Cedar indeed felt like home from day one. And now, after a long journey, this resilient boy is, in fact, family.
“Since the day we found each other, it’s been a journey of healing, and a whole lot of trail miles. From early morning runs, training time in the park, to quiet moments snuggling at home, he’s reminded me what resilience really looks like,” Sawna wrote on Instagram.
With his one half-blue eye, the sweetest demeanor, and love for running, there’s no doubt that Cedar is the perfect fit for his new owners.
From now on, he will be their third companion on long trail runs, soaking up all the beauty of life – and living his life to the fullest.