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California Woman On A Neighborhood Walk Discovers An Animal Gazing At Her From The Hillside

California Woman On A Neighborhood Walk Discovers An Animal Gazing At Her From The Hillside

Scorching summer days can be unbearable—especially for stray animals with no food, water, or shade to protect them.

One sweltering afternoon in California, a woman noticed a strange figure lingering on a hillside near her neighborhood.

At first glance, she thought it was a coyote. But after seeing the animal in the same spot for three days, she realized it was actually a dog—the very same one that neighbors had been posting about on the Nextdoor app for weeks.

The poor pup looked exhausted and overheated, barely hanging on.

Stranded In The Heat

animal on hillside
Source: Suzette Hall

For nearly two weeks, locals had spotted the dog in different places throughout the area, but no one had reported her missing.

Sensing something was wrong, the woman reached out to Suzette Hall, a well-known rescuer from Irvine, California.

“It was so hot that day. I was feeling so dizzy, but I thought, ‘She’s gotta be hotter’,” Hall told The Dodo.

The pup was perched so high up on the hillside that reaching her was nearly impossible. Thankfully, kind neighbors allowed Hall access through their backyard to get closer.

One thing was certain—Hall wasn’t going to give up.

dog laying outside
Source: Suzette Hall

When she finally climbed near the bushes where the dog had been hiding to stay cool, Hall immediately noticed her dire condition.

“You could tell that she hadn’t had water in days,” Hall said.

Hall placed a humane trap filled with treats nearby and set down a large bowl of water. The pup gulped the water right away but stubbornly avoided the trap.

What felt like hours went by as Hall tried to coax her closer, even speaking softly to gain her trust. But nothing seemed to work—until she left to grab some fresh chicken.

stray dog in crate
Source: Suzette Hall

“I put the chicken in the trap and started to walk away and … I heard the trap shut. I turned around and started crying. This was such a hard rescue because of the location she was in, so I was exhausted and hot, and I couldn’t hold back my emotions,” Hall wrote in a Facebook post.

To her surprise, the frightened animal wasn’t just any dog—it was a young Belgian Malinois puppy, no more than seven months old.

Since the trap was too heavy to carry down the steep slope, Hall called in the fire department. With the help of four compassionate firefighters, the pup was finally brought to safety after weeks of wandering under the blazing sun.

A Bright Ray Of Sunshine

dog and toy
Source: Suzette Hall

“I named her Sunshine because it was so hot and because she’s a bright light of sunshine,” Hall said.

The name fit her perfectly. No one knew what her past held, but it was clear she was destined to bring warmth into the lives of those around her.

woman and dog
Source: Suzette Hall

“She’s just so scared. She’ll let you pet her, but she just shakes. That’s typical for being on the streets for a long time,” Hall explained.

Sunshine was taken straight to a vet in Irvine, where she was finally able to rest and recover. Surrounded by kindness, she slowly began to trust again.

Once she was ready, she moved into a foster home with Brittany, a skilled dog trainer who knew exactly how to help her.

woman and two dogs
Source: Suzette Hall

From then on, Sunshine’s life truly began to change.

Brittany quickly realized fostering wasn’t enough. In a heartfelt comment, she admitted: “Originally was fostering, but when she walked up to me and gave me my first kiss, it was a wrap and I asked to adopt her.”

Now officially adopted, Sunshine is cherished, spoiled, and enjoys life alongside her furry big sister, Akeela.