Blistering summer heat is brutal for pets, and even worse for strays who are already weak, hungry, and alone.
Southern California may be famous for its sunshine, but for the growing number of abandoned animals, those rays can be unforgiving.
One woman strolling through a park in Irvine, California noticed a strange white bundle tucked into the shade.
When she looked closer, she realized it was a frightened little dog who clearly needed saving.
Hot, Weak, And Alone
The woman tried approaching, but the fluffy dog bolted in fear. She couldn’t leave him to suffer, so she reached out to Suzette Hall, founder of Logan’s Legacy Dog Rescue in Irvine.
Suzette didn’t hesitate. She rushed over to help the abandoned pup who was too scared to trust anyone.
“He really needed help, but he just wouldn’t go to anybody. He would run away. Then he’d go back to his same spot behind the building, where it was shady and safe,” Suzette told The Dodo.
It was late July, and the temperature had climbed to 92°. The fluffy boy was trembling and dehydrated, refusing to let anyone get near.
Hall set a humane trap filled with hot dogs, hoping his hunger would override his fear. At first, he bolted again, and she braced herself for another failed attempt.
Then, something remarkable happened.
“He started to run from us, but then he did a double take. He sniffed the treats in the trap as he went by, and he turned around as fast as he could. He ran right into the trap,” Hall said.
It was the first time she had seen a dog turn around so fast and run right into a trap. Within minutes, he was inside, safe at last.
Finally Secure
Hall quickly transferred the dog to her air-conditioned van.
The poor pup’s tongue was lolling from heat exhaustion, but relief was finally settling in.
“I got about a few miles away, and I heard him sigh, and I looked back, he was fast asleep 💤 both eyes shut tight. He knew he was rescued,” Hall wrote on her Facebook.
The dog, now named Mulligan, was brought to Camino Pet Hospital for a full exam. He received the care he desperately needed and was then placed in foster care.
“He’s so happy now, he just smiles all the time. He’s as sweet as can be. I really, really love him,” Hall said.
Mulligan is thriving in his foster home, but he’s still waiting for a forever family to give him the love he deserves.
Anyone interested in adopting this gentle boy can contact Suzette Hall directly through her Facebook or her Instagram.