While staying at a church in Tijuana, Josh Ann happened to notice a group of dogs searching for food at a nearby dump. The sight worried him, so he went out to take a closer look.
There he found a mother dog and her puppies, all of them painfully thin, weak, and covered in fleas and ticks.
One small black puppy immediately stood out. Josh later named him Speedy. Though the little dog looked exhausted and weighed no more than about 10 pounds, he still approached Josh with a wagging tail.
Josh noticed several ticks tucked inside Speedy’s ear, and it was obvious the puppy was in bad shape. Still, the moment Josh knelt down to pet him, Speedy leaned his head into Josh’s hand with total trust.
That was all it took.
Josh contacted a local rescue to help the mother dog and the rest of the puppies, but when it came time to leave, he realized he could not walk away from Speedy. He decided to take him in and give him the kind of life he had never had before.
At first, Speedy was frightened by almost everything. After surviving on the streets, he seemed deeply unsure of his surroundings. He stayed close to walls, avoided open spaces, and often hid away.
But with patience and reassurance from Josh, he slowly began to relax. Before long, his playful and loving personality started to appear. Josh said Speedy quickly opened up whenever people showed him kindness and loved chasing soccer balls around with the children at the church.
Once Speedy had received the medical care he needed, Josh drove him across the border to San Diego so they could begin their new life together.
Since then, the two have been inseparable. Josh says Speedy goes almost everywhere with him. One of his favorite places is Dog Beach in Del Mar, where he gradually learned to trust other dogs too. Now, instead of being fearful, he loves making new friends.
Josh says rescuing Speedy changed both of their lives. Speedy is no longer the sick, fragile puppy from the dump, and Josh feels his own life has become richer and more meaningful with Speedy by his side.
Six months later, their bond is only growing stronger. Josh never expected to leave Tijuana with a dog, but now he cannot imagine life without him. In his eyes, he is the lucky one.