A Chihuahua who took shelter inside a liquor store during a storm eventually got the fresh start he needed thanks to a caring rescue volunteer. But his journey to a forever home almost took a very different turn.
Sabrina Wilkerson volunteers with Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego County. Recently, she received a call from a local shopkeeper who said a frightened little dog had been hiding inside his store.
He sent Sabrina several photos of the soaked Chihuahua curled up beneath bottles of orange juice. The shopkeeper had tried placing a towel over him, but he was hesitant to get too close because he didn’t know whether the dog was friendly.
Sabrina drove to the store and immediately noticed how frightened and stressed the little dog was. She said he showed his teeth when she approached, but she was eventually able to gently coax him into a crate.
She took him to the veterinarian for an examination and to check for a microchip.
He didn’t have a chip, but thankfully, he appeared to be healthy, so Sabrina brought him home.
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“He was sweet and he warmed up, and you could tell he was friendly,” she explained. “He was just nervous.”
The following morning, Sabrina took the Chihuahua to the county shelter so he could complete the required stray hold. If nobody came forward to claim him, she planned to foster him.
But then something unexpected happened.
Sabrina made a mistake she said she had never made before. Instead of putting the little dog into a crate, she carried him into the shelter. The moment she opened the car door, however, the frightened Chihuahua suddenly bolted.
Sabrina and several other volunteers immediately began searching for him, but he had vanished.
Heartbroken, Sabrina put up lost-dog flyers throughout the neighborhood. Several hours later, she received a call from a woman who had found the Chihuahua and taken him to the shelter.
When Sabrina arrived, she realized it was the same dog.
She decided to name him Austin, after the woman who had found and returned him.
After spending several days at the shelter, Austin was finally cleared to return home with Sabrina, where she kept a close watch on him.
“He seems to like to be out, so whoever adopts him needs to understand his story, and needs to be very careful with front doors … because once he’s out, he just wants to run,” Sabrina explained.
As Austin settled into his temporary home, Sabrina began learning more about his personality.
He absolutely loved blankets.
He would steal them and curl up comfortably inside them.
She also discovered that he was a little shy.
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But Austin no longer had to worry about where his future would take him.
He found a home with Kate and Irina, a couple who already had experience caring for shy dogs.
“They were perfect when they came to meet him tonight,” Sabrina wrote. “He was a little barky at first, but warmed up quickly with some treats and allowed them each to pet and hold him.”
Austin had experienced a hectic few weeks, and nobody knew exactly what his life had been like before the rescue.
Thankfully, his new family understood that he would need patience and time.
With consistency, stability and plenty of love, Sabrina believed he would eventually become the confident, happy and affectionate little dog he was meant to be.
Sabrina knew Austin would receive plenty of love in his new home, especially because Irina works from home. Soon, she received an adorable update about how he was settling in.
They discovered that Austin didn’t just love blankets—he had also developed a habit of stealing clothes.
While Kate was at work, Austin found her jean jacket and curled up on it because he missed her.
It was another sweet sign that this once-frightened little dog was beginning to feel safe and attached to his new family.
Sabrina admits she will miss Austin, but she is incredibly relieved that he finally has a loving home.
For her, these happy endings are exactly why rescue work is worth everything.
