Two years ago in Bali, animal rescuer Selina Dey came across a heartbreaking sight — a small puppy trapped deep inside a sewer drain.
“I wasn’t sure if she had fallen in by accident or if someone had put her there,” Dey shared with The Dodo. “But either way, she needed help fast.”
Determined to rescue the frightened pup, Dey made several attempts to coax her out. But the poor dog, terrified and stuck in the darkness, wouldn’t budge.
“It was pitch black and pretty deep down,” Dey recalled. “Honestly, I was nervous about crawling in myself, so I tried to tempt her with treats.”
Dey spent two exhausting days trying different approaches, but the puppy remained too scared to trust her. Finally, she reached out to her friend Mia, a fellow dog rescuer, for help. The duo devised a plan involving a trap baited with fried chicken. After several tries, their patience paid off.
“She just couldn’t resist the chicken — and it finally worked,” Dey said.
Despite her rough experience, the puppy turned out to be in surprisingly good health. And once she felt safe, her sweet, spirited personality began to emerge.
“She went from being incredibly withdrawn to completely owning her space,” Dey explained. “She became more confident every day.”
Dey took the puppy home and named her Dumbo. She was amazed at how quickly Dumbo bonded with her.
“She was pure affection,” Dey said with a smile. “She’d wrap all four paws around me like she never wanted to let go.”
In the two years since that rescue, Dumbo has grown into a confident and loving dog. The only thing she’s still waiting for is a forever family. Strangely, no one has stepped forward to adopt her yet — but Dey believes that when the right person comes along, Dumbo will shine.
“When she connects with someone, it’s incredibly deep,” Dey said. “Her love is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“Either she fell in there and didn’t know how to get out, or someone threw her in.”