Heartbroken Dog Refuses To Leave Spot Where She Last Saw Her Family

Recently, residents in a Southern California neighborhood spotted a gray-and-white dog sitting stoically in a school parking lot. They watched for days as the dog slept underneath the school’s shrubs, where they believe she last saw her family.

Neighbors tried tirelessly to rescue her, but the dog refused to budge from her spot under the tree.

“When they would try to go get her, she would just scurry out a little bit into a parking spot and then run back to her tree,” Suzette Hall, founder of Logan’s Legacy dog rescue, told The Dodo. “The tree was her safe place. It was like her little home.”

Weeks passed, and still the dog waited. Even when Good Samaritans weren’t actively trying to help her, the pup had many opportunities to leave the school’s grounds. But she didn’t want to.

“During the day, the gate would open, but she wouldn’t leave,” Hall said. “At night, it would close, so she would just feel safe in there.”

People at the school and in the community started sharing the pup’s picture online in hopes of finding her family, but they had no luck.

“Nobody claimed her,” Hall said. “It was so sad.”

Eventually, Hall came across the dog’s story, and she reached out immediately to help. The dedicated rescuer drove to the school and scanned for the dog. She couldn’t find her at first, but she soon spotted the dog curled up in her favorite spot.

“She was so cute,” Hall said. “When I pulled up, I was looking for trees, and, sure enough, there she was.”

Hall set a humane trap with a warm piece of hot dog, then waited for the pup to investigate. Locals were already feeding the dog kibble, so Hall was worried that she wouldn’t be hungry enough to fall for the bait, but, luckily, the rescuer chose just the right snack.

“She wasn’t starving, but she definitely hadn’t had a hot dog yet,” Hall said. “So she ran right in.”

After 15 days, the dog, later named Scarlet, was finally safe in Hall’s care. Scarlet’s relief was palpable from the moment she got in Hall’s van.

“She was super scared at first, but she totally calmed down once she realized she was safe,” Hall said. “She couldn’t close her eyes until she was safe, and finally she did. She stayed fast asleep all the way to my vet.”

At Camino Pet Hospital, the staff gave Scarlet a clean bill of health and cleared her for foster care. The little one joined a loving foster home shortly after, and now she’s having the time of her life with her new siblings.

“She has a couple of foster siblings, and she loves playing with them,” Hall said. “She’s so happy. Just a little love bug.”

As of now, Scarlet’s foster home is temporary, which means she’s still on the hunt for a forever home. Scarlet is a lovable dog who gets along with everyone she meets, so she’ll have no problem joining a new family.

When it comes to forever, though, there’s just one thing Hall — and Scarlet — are looking for.

“Her perfect family would be someone who’d never leave her and love her for who she is,” Hall said. “She’ll never have to live under a tree again.”