Fri. Oct 10th, 2025

“I [was] like, ‘What’s that in front of me?’”

Sometimes, the best surprises come with wagging tails.

A few days ago, Texas resident Bita Ghassemi was driving along a quiet country road near Austin when something unexpected caught her eye. She’d stopped to admire a few cows grazing nearby when four small shapes suddenly appeared in the distance, heading straight toward her car.

“At first, I couldn’t tell what I was looking at,” Ghassemi told The Dodo. “Then I realized — oh my goodness, those are puppies!”

The little dogs ran right up to her, tails wagging and eyes full of hope. They seemed to trust her immediately, even though she had no idea where they had come from.

Thinking they might belong to someone nearby, Ghassemi spoke with local homeowners — but no one recognized the pups. That’s when she realized they’d been abandoned. She quickly offered them water, which they eagerly lapped up after what looked like days without food or drink.

“They were hot, thirsty and so skinny,” she recalled. “That’s when I knew I had to help them right away.”

Ghassemi gently loaded the puppies into her car and drove them to a friend’s house in Austin. For the first time in who knows how long, they could rest in comfort. Together with her friends Ellen Culver, Jane Harvey, and Nedda, Ghassemi made sure the pups were bathed, fed, and safe.

As the days passed, each puppy’s personality began to shine.

  • Honey, the only girl, was calm and easygoing.
  • Walnut was shy but loved attention.
  • Tiger was the cuddly chatterbox of the bunch.
  • Finn turned out to be playful and independent.

Apart from being underweight, all four were healthy — just in need of love and care. With good food and gentle attention, they quickly bounced back.

Within a few short days, each puppy found a forever home.

“It’s been incredible to see how much love people have shown,” Ghassemi said. “I just hope it inspires others not to drive past stray animals — you might be the one person who can change their lives.”

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