When a Michigan shelter received information about two dogs being dumped by their cruel owners in the middle of nowhere, they immediately knew what to do.
They grabbed their gear, assembled a team, and headed out to the location.
Because they conduct such rescue missions all the time, the shelter staff thought that this would be a straightforward rescue.
Little did they know that it would actually last a couple of days.
Patience Is Key
After finally finding the pups, the Michigan rescuers managed to catch the female pup, Nutmeg, with little to no effort. Her brother, Barney, proved to be much more difficult.
For five days, the rescuers did everything they could to locate and catch Barney. They had search parties that followed his whereabouts, they set up multiple traps, and even spied on him through the cameras of local houses.
But, it was of no use.
During these five days, Barney’s sister was safe and sound in the shelter’s facilities, but she was not doing well. She was so heartbroken and depressed that she barely lifted her head, let alone moved around.
“She laid in the corner of her kennel, not moving, or barely picking her head up. Her whole body flinched when you touched her, and she would pee or poop if you had to handle her—it was heartbreaking,” Jordan Covington from The KG Foundation said in an interview.
Seeing her in this state motivated the rescuers in their mission to reunite the pups as soon as possible. And, that’s exactly what happened.
Sweet Runion
After learning that Barney had traveled miles on his own, moving even closer to the shelter, the rescuers realized it was the perfect opportunity to set up a trap.
And, they were right! Finally, Barney was caught and transported to his sister. When the two initially met, Nutmeg was quite confused and couldn’t remember who Barney was. Luckily, it didn’t take her too long to remember.
“When she first saw Barney again, she was scared and pooped everywhere being carried into a new room. She growled at first, but as soon as she realized it was ‘him,’ she turned into a different dog. She was walking around him, licking him, wagging her tail, and even grabbed a bag of treats off the table. It was the first time any of us had ever seen her do ‘real dog things,” said Covington.
But, despite their adorable reunion, the pups had to face other challenges.
Barney was diagnosed with heartworm disease and will need to undergo excessive treatment in order to be healthy again. And, because of the things she went through, Nutmeg is super shy and reserved, refusing to trust hoomans again.
Even with all these challenges, the Michigan shelter will try everything it can to provide these sweet siblings with the life they truly deserve.
“To be transparent with the state of the world and the crisis that animal welfare is in, we know placing them won’t be easy. But it will be worth it. The love they have to give is so unconditional and pure,” he explained.
For now, Barney and Nutmeg are available for foster or foster-to-adoption situations as they still have a long way to go. They aren’t really used to being in a loving home so they need some patience and understanding.
But, I am sure that given some patience and love, these two lovebugs will transform into the cutest furry companions ever.
So, if you are able to offer a helping hand and open up your warm home to two incredible pups, feel free to contact the KG Foundation for more information.