She was my favorite part of my new life': New dog mom’s heartbreak turns to relief after her timid rescue pup bolts from her apartment and survives days alone in sweltering heat before a stranger helps bring her home

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Aug 26, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

Runaway pupper stories are truly some of the saddest around, especially when they served in part as an emotional support to their pawrents. The very thing that you came to depend on to get through the day runs as far away from you as possible, heartbreaking. But the truth is that these puppers are just looking for a bit of independence and instead of deciding that the park is the place to get it, they head straight for the big wide world waiting outside their doorstep.

Maybe in some place they think that they will finally get to find and eat all the yummy smells they know around the neighborhood, or perhaps it is just a way for them to explore the world. Whatever their reasoning it leaves us pawrents with our hearts in our mouths much as it did for this poor pupper pawrent who had been through a heck of a lot leading up to her pupper's escape. We can only be thankful that she was kindly and quickly returned home.
 

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  • 01
    So recently got out of an 2, 3 year long relationship. I went from caring for 2 small children and a rambunctious 1 year old pit mix, to living alone in a 1 bedroom apartment. I miss my old dog, but she's too big for my apartment
    via thejaderade
  • 02
    (75 lbs!) plus I didn't want to take her away from the kids, and although I took care of her most, she technically is my ex's dog. The relationship and breakup took a toll on my emotions and general wellbeing, to say the least.
    via thejaderade
  • 03
    But I got out, that's what is important. As soon as I left and started looking for my own place, while crashing at my parents' house, I started looking for a shelter/rescue dog to adopt. I visited a small shelter in my area and immediately fell in love
    via thejaderade
  • 04
    with a little brindle mixed breed, and I swore I would come get her as soon as I got the keys to my apartment. A couple of days after I found her my best friend went to the shelter to get her for me as a surprise, to cheer me up with all I'm going through.
    via thejaderade

  • Now that is what friends are for. They are there for you in the moments that you are not there for yourself. They see what you are going through and know how to pick you up. A true friend is a friend that brings you a pupper when you are in need.

  • 05
    That's when the animal control officer finally told him that she is heartworm positive, he called me and asked if i knew. Of course I didnt, and told him to leave her there because I didn't think I could afford treatment. After making a few phone calls I found a
    via thejaderade
  • 06
    vet who was willing to discount the treatment to $150 because of the situation. So as soon as I got my keys I went to the shelter to get her. They waived the fee. I made an appointment to get her heartworms treated. She was a stray
    via thejaderade
  • 07
    before she got brought into the shelter, where she stayed for 3 months. This is by far the worst shelte I have ever heard of, btw. It's clear to see that the dogs don't even get taken out and the workers just hose down the concrete floor to "clean" the cages.
    via thejaderade
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10545750272
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  • 09
    Anyway, I got her home and she seemed to be warming up to me. She didn't want to move from my bed, but when I called her into another room she would come. She seemed content. She would stretch out and let out a huge sigh when I pet her. Sunday
    via thejaderade
  • 10
    afternoon I got my new furniture, and she hated it. I guess she got used to a completely empty living room and a more open space. I didn't worry too much, I figured she would come around. So yesterday when I left for work I left my bedroom door open so she could explore the new
    via thejaderade
  • 11
    furniture on her own (side note: she had been doing extremely well with house training and didn't tear anything up, but hated her crate so I just left her in my bedroom with no issues). As soon as I opened the door on my lunch break to go get her and take her out
    via thejaderade
  • 12
    to use the bathroom, she ran at me with her tail wagging. Before I could grab her or her leash she was scurrying past me down the stairs. At first I thought she just really had to pee. She was headed in the direction of her usual spot...but before i knew it she was gone.
    via thejaderade
  • 13
    Cheezburger Image 10545750016
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  • Oh man, that is about the last thing that you want to have happen when you are already feeling alone and dejected. To have your brand new pupper just scurry away, never to return. Goodness knows how horrible this woman must feel. Thankfully, as we already know there is a happy ending on the way.

  • 14
    And she's still gone. I have posted her picture on facebook, drove around for hours, asked everyone I know in this town to PLEASE call me if they see her. I had to cancel her vet appointment which was supposed to be tomorrow afternoon. I feel so awful
    via thejaderade
  • 15
    for letting her get out loose. I can't stop thinking about her alone, terrified, and possibly dehydrated and hot--it's 95 degrees with high humidity here. I think she might have gone to the woods or one of the big fields behind my apartment. She isn't very
    via thejaderade
  • 16
    people friendly, just super skittish and shy. I walked the tree line and field yesterday, but no luck. I called the (only) vet office in town and the animal control officer. I cannot think of anything else I could possibly do. This is a small town, and I have
    via thejaderade
  • 17
    made a lot of friends in the past 2 years I have lived here. They've helped me look and spread the word. I feel like if she was around town somewhere someone would have recognized her. She also has a collar and tags with my info on it, didn't get a chance to microchip her yet.
    via thejaderade
  • 18
    So just as I was starting to really lose hope, I finally got a phone call from a vets office 10 miles away (edit: maybe not 10 miles away. It is a 10 minute drive from where I live, but the distance may be shorter since she went through the woods) Abbey showed up
    via thejaderade
  • 19
    there and this super nice lady managed to lure her in with food and water, she still had her tag on so she called me. I was at work, so she generously offered to drive her to me and met me at my apartment so we could walk her up on the leash--we didn't want to
    via thejaderade
  • 20
    take any chances with her taking off again. I wish I had a reward to give this compassionate, thoughtful person but she genuinely seemed happy to get Abbey home. I cried and hugged her haha. She said her dog was the same way when she first got her (which is what a lot of you
    via thejaderade
  • 21
    guys told me too, it helped to know i'm not just a terrible dog mommy) but that she came around in time. I still cannot believe she was found. I want to cry every time I look at her. I had to go back to work, but I left her in my bedroom
    via thejaderade
  • 22
    **EPHANT
    via thejaderade
  • 23
    and she was perfect; no accidents or anything. She ate a little bit, and then some more tonight when i got home. I took her out to potty and she peed, then immediately wanted to go straight upstairs to our apartment so I think that's a good sign. I tried to take
    via thejaderade
  • 24
    her out again top and she wouldn't even go down the stairs. I think that really shows she does want to be here, but she just gets so freaked out sometimes. I'm definitely going to be a lot more careful with her now.
    via thejaderade

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