“She is just a puppy … terrified out of her mind” 🥺
Last week, animal rescuer Suzette Hall saved a tiny puppy who had been hiding behind a dumpster in a commercial parking lot. As the founder of Logan’s Legacy 29, Hall has helped many dogs in frightening situations, so she was grateful to finally have the little pup safe.
But just two days later, she received another call that made her heart sink. A second terrified dog had been spotted in the very same parking lot, also running around and hiding near the dumpster.
Hall rushed back to the shopping center that evening. When she arrived, she saw a small brown-and-white wire-haired puppy dart across the lot before disappearing behind the dumpster. The woman who had called Hall said the puppy had been doing the same thing for three days.
The dog was clearly young and extremely scared. Every time someone tried to approach her, she would run away and hide. The Good Samaritan had been leaving food and water out, hoping the puppy would eventually feel safe enough to come closer.
That night, though, the puppy was too frightened to be rescued, so Hall decided to return the next morning.
When Hall came back with fellow rescuer Mary Nakiso, the puppy had left the parking lot and moved into a nearby residential yard. The rescuers followed her there and used large pieces of cardboard to block off escape routes so she couldn’t run back into danger.
The scared puppy panicked and kept moving from place to place. She hid in bushes, then squeezed into a tiny storage-like gap between walls.
Eventually, she pushed herself into a narrow space between two exterior walls. It was a difficult hiding spot, but she was still close enough for the rescuers to reach. Hall and Nakiso carefully worked a slip lead through the opening until it settled around the puppy’s neck.
Then Nakiso removed her jacket, gently placed it over the puppy and scooped her up. The little dog was trembling with fear, but she was finally safe.
Hall named the puppy Tweety and took her straight to the vet. During the drive, she couldn’t stop wondering how Tweety had ended up alone in the parking lot. She also thought about the other tiny puppy she had rescued from nearly the same place just days earlier.
Hall strongly suspected that Tweety and the first puppy, named Dottie, might be sisters. The situation felt too similar to be a coincidence.
The thought that both puppies may have been abandoned there was heartbreaking. Still, Hall was relieved that both girls had been rescued before anything worse could happen.
Thankfully, Dottie and Tweety were both healthy. Each puppy was placed in a foster home through Second Leash On Life with the help of Alix Levy Smith.
Tweety still needs time to recover emotionally, but she is already doing much better now that she is surrounded by care and kindness. Before her rescue, she seemed to know only fear and abandonment. Now, she is beginning to learn what love feels like.
Hall hopes both Tweety and Dottie will soon find permanent families. Until then, she is thankful they are safe, cared for and no longer alone.