Most people may worry after seeing the sight of an abandoned dog curled up on a mattress outside an empty house and even share its photo on social media. But for one man, the photo sent him on a multi-day journey to rescue the dog.
A family moved out of their home in Detroit a month ago, they left lots of trash behind them – an old mattress, pillows, some broken furniture…. Their dog, Boo, was put out, too. In fact, Boo is a loyal dog, he waited for his owners to come back for him for the whole month.
Neighbors watched the sad dog named Boo lying on a curb and bring him food. Then one day they called Detroit Youth and Dog Rescue Center. The founder of Detroit Youth and Dog Rescue, Dustin Oliver after seeing a photo of the dog decided to do something to help the dog.
When Oliver showed up, he realized his mission was to help the pooch come to terms with the fact his family had left him behind. Oliver sat down with the dog, hoping to coax Boo into leaving. “I was there talking to him and trying to get him to trust humans again,” Oliver said. But Boo was not budging.
Oliver stayed for 11 hours, only leaving around 1 a.m. He returned the next day, and brought two Sausage and hash browns. Boo eagerly ate all the food, Oliver said, but it took another few hours until the dog finally let his new friend put a collar on him.
“I think certain people have a certain energy around them. Dogs, and all animals, pick up on those,” Oliver said. “We kind of talked to each other to make sure we understood each other’s feelings… He knew I wasn’t going to hurt him.”
Oliver scooped up Boo in a blanket and drove him straight to the vet, where he found out Boo is heartworm positive. This means nobody can adopt Boo until he is healthy again, which will likely take six months. But in the meantime, Detroit Youth and Dog Rescue is looking for a family to foster Boo so he can get better.