A community in East Grand Rapids came together after discovering an extremely weak and emaciated dog collapsed in the middle of a busy road.
Emilie Bond said her husband was walking their dog in early June when he noticed the helpless animal lying in the street. The dog, who would later be named Hope, appeared to be in extremely poor condition and barely had enough strength to move.
credit: Hope for Hope – An Abandoned Dog in Grand Rapids
Bond later shared Hope’s rescue story on the Hope for Hope – An Abandoned Dog in Grand Rapids Facebook page.
She explained that her husband and several other neighbors spotted the severely malnourished dog on Lakeside after she had apparently crawled out of the woods. The exhausted animal collapsed in the middle of morning traffic and was too weak to even make it across the road.
Concerned neighbors immediately stopped traffic and surrounded the dog to keep her safe. Eventually, they managed to guide her onto the sidewalk.
They offered her some water, and Hope managed to take a few small drinks. But she was so exhausted that she eventually lowered her face directly into the water bowl and was too weak to lift her head again.
credit: Hope for Hope – An Abandoned Dog in Grand Rapids
Police and animal rescue services were contacted, but Hope’s condition was so serious that the people at the scene weren’t sure she would survive.
Then Rachel, a nearby neighbor, arrived and refused to give up on her.
Rachel stepped forward and said she would do whatever was necessary to save the dog. She immediately decided to take Hope to Cascade Animal Hospital, taking responsibility for her care and the expenses that followed.
The veterinary team suspected that Hope was around 7 years old. They also believed she may have spent much of her life being repeatedly bred by a backyard breeder before eventually being discarded.
Veterinary examinations revealed that Hope was suffering from severe skin infections and even had rocks inside her stomach, something that can happen when extremely hungry dogs begin eating whatever they can find. The medical team continued examining her for additional health problems.
Knowing Rachel would struggle to afford Hope’s extensive medical treatment, Bond set up a GoFundMe to help raise the funds needed for her care.
Because Hope needed extensive medical treatment, Bond knew Rachel would struggle to handle the costs alone. She created a GoFundMe campaign and began raising money to help cover Hope’s growing veterinary expenses.
Hope’s first week was especially difficult, and for a while, her condition remained uncertain.
During her first night, she had to be transferred to the Animal Emergency Hospital so she could receive continuous IV treatment and remain under round-the-clock observation.
Thankfully, Hope gradually became stable enough to leave the hospital and continue her recovery at Rachel’s home.
For the first time, she had a warm bed, a safe house, and people determined to make sure she would never go hungry again.
“When we found Hope we weren’t sure that this outcome would be a reality,” her caregivers explained. “Honestly, things looked grim but we wanted to give this girl a fighting chance, and fight she did.”
Although Hope still had a long recovery ahead, her personality was already beginning to shine. She greeted her humans with wagging tails and affection, showing everyone that beneath her fragile condition was an incredibly sweet dog.
Her caregivers later shared a video showing Hope’s first night in her new home. She slept peacefully in her soft bed throughout the night, even making adorable little snores, and politely let her humans know whenever she needed to go outside.
She was also slowly being introduced to the other animals in the household, beginning with one other dog.
Her family said her progress continued to surprise them every day.
Hope’s new family eventually became permanent. The couple who adopted her, Gary and Erin, happened to be the parents of one of the first people who had discovered Hope on the road.
They adopted her after she was released from intensive care and immediately committed themselves to giving her the best life possible.
The rescue team shared that Gary and Erin took Hope to countless veterinary appointments, physical therapy sessions, and specialist visits across the state. Alongside all of the medical care, they surrounded her with affection every single day.
Hope has continued dealing with serious urinary tract infections, but despite her ongoing health challenges, she continues to enjoy her days surrounded by the people who love her.
credit: Hope for Hope – An Abandoned Dog in Grand Rapids
Hope’s journey began with her collapsing helplessly in the middle of a busy road, so weak that she could barely lift her head.
But strangers stopped.
Neighbors protected her.
Rachel refused to give up.
Veterinarians fought to save her.
And eventually, Hope found a family that was willing to continue fighting alongside her.
Today, she is surrounded by warmth, care, medical support, and more love than she could have imagined during those darkest days.
From being abandoned and left to struggle alone to becoming a deeply loved member of a family, Hope has truly grown into the meaning of her name.
Her story is a reminder that sometimes, all an animal needs is for someone to stop, notice, and refuse to walk away.
