On a stormy night, Animal Care Officer, Perry, received a call about a homeless Pit Bull who was barking at a door in a San Antonio neighborhood.
The caller described the dog as aggressive and officer Perry rushed to investigate.
It was cold when Perry arrived at the scene. She was shaking in her jacket as she searched for the stray doggo.
Perry expected to see a big, defensive dog, but instead, she found a little pup who was clinging to an abandoned car seat in the trash.
She looked so scared while she was trying to keep warm and find shelter from the cold.
Officer Perry was both surprised and moved by the heartbreaking sight. She was determined to help her and bring her to safety.
The Pup Is Brought To Safety
As soon as Perry looked at the doggo, later named Martha, she knew that she spent a lot of time on the streets trying to fend for herself.
Her ribs were protruding through her small frame.
When Martha spotted Perry approaching her, she quickly looked away. The doggo felt confused. She knew that she needed help but she wasn’t sure if she could trust the officer.
Perry talked to her gently and encouraged her to come with her.
Martha sensed that she was a good human who was there to help her. She agreed to go with her and Perry wrapped her in a blanket and led her to the car.
The moment Martha hopped in, she transformed. She wagged her tail as if she wished to show Perry how grateful she was.
“It was amazing how quickly she came around. It was like she knew I was there to help her,” Perry told The Dodo.
The pup was taken to the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services. The staff offered her delicious food which she immediately gulped down.
She was taken to the vet for a medical checkup. The vet team revealed that she was malnourished, heartworm-positive, and had delivered litters in the past.
The Beginning Of A New Life
Perry took her to her kennel, gave her many stuffed toys, and let her choose her favorite one. Martha chose a stuffed Teddy bear.
The shelter knew that the pup needed a loving foster home where she could learn how to be a dog and they shared her story on Facebook, asking whether someone could take her in and give her the help she needed.
As soon as the Mains family came across Maggie’s story, they felt compelled to foster her and help her in her journey to a forever home.
When they picked her up from the San Antonio shelter, the doggo expressed her gratitude to her foster family by showering them with kisses.
Martha moved in with the Mains family and met her three foster dog siblings who started teaching her manners.
Thanks to the love that her foster parents gave her and the support and guidance of her doggy siblings, Maggie began coming out of her shell.
She quickly adapted to her foster home and got attached to her foster parents. Maggie follows them everywhere and she even sleeps in their bed.
“Her fosters say she has settled in and sleeps on their bed at night. They are also getting used to having no privacy because Martha follows them everywhere! Her foster mom says, ‘She doesn’t know to “dog” yet, but she’s learning,'” Lisa Norwood, public relations manager for City of San Antonio Animal Care Services, told The Dodo.
Martha is at her foster home and continues receiving heartworm treatment. She is gradually gaining weight. She still enjoys playing with toys and the bear her rescuer gave her is still her favorite one.
Before long, she will be ready to start searching for a forever family who will give her the unconditional love that she needs.