She’d been there for weeks.
Last month, a California resident named Luis was shocked to find a lone puppy fending for herself on his porch. Luis couldn’t figure out where she’d come from, especially living in the quiet countryside, but he could tell that no one had been caring for her. So, he scooped up the dog, later named Maggie, and took her to Wilton Animal Rescue (WAR).
Luis was relieved to learn a few days later that Maggie had found a set of loving foster parents, Michelle and Wade Wilcox, and expected that to be the end of his rescue efforts. Until, two weeks after Maggie’s rescue, Luis accidentally discovered someone who looked awfully familiar.
It was a quiet day on March 27, when Luis suddenly heard yelps echo throughout his property. He was used to hearing dogs barking from time to time, but these cries were different; they sounded urgent and desperate.
“He went out to investigate, and that is when he found her in the pipe,” Michelle Wilcox told The Dodo.
Luis couldn’t believe his eyes when he found himself face-to-face with a puppy who looked exactly like Maggie in a drainpipe. The sweet girl, later named Vesper, was scared but relieved to see Luis staring back at her. Vesper had been living on her own for more than two weeks without her sister, Maggie, and desperately needed help.
“She was extremely dehydrated and full of fleas and HUGE ticks!” Wilcox said.
Sadly, this rescue would be more challenging than Maggie’s. Vesper was nestled in the middle of the long drainpipe, and Luis couldn’t get her out on his own, so he called Wilcox for backup. Soon, a team of rescuers arrived, including WAR’s president and founder, Carol Eisenbrandt. They swiftly devised a plan to extract the frightened pup.
“The boys lifted the pipe and we had a crate had the other end and she slowly made her way towards me,” Eisenbrandt told The Dodo. “We secured her and took her to WAR and treated her for dehydration, ticks and fleas.”
After her treatment, Vesper went off to the same foster home as her sister. But in a twist of fate, Maggie was adopted the day before Vesper was rescued, so they weren’t able to reunite at the Wilcoxes’. They still shared a connection, however, both in looks and the amount of love they received from their foster family.
Vesper, especially, needed some extra TLC when she first arrived at her foster home.
“When we first brought her home, she was very timid and unsure of us and the dogs,” Wilcox said. “I can understand her fears as a puppy having to defend herself from all the wildlife and all!”
Luckily, Vesper had a patient and understanding family caring for her, and she quickly overcame her anxious behavior. Within just two days of training, Vesper stopped lunging at her foster siblings in fear and began accepting their love.
Vesper is still at her foster home today, waiting to be adopted by another amazing family. The Wilcoxes are hopeful that her perfect match will find her soon, but until then, they’ll continue to enjoy watching her grow and showering her with the love she’s always deserved.
“Her true personality is coming out now. She is extremely loyal, smart, sassy, loving and smart. She loves to run and play with our dogs, too, and gives them plenty of kisses!” Wilcox said.
To help animals like Maggie and Vesper get the care they need, you can donate to Wilton Animal Rescue here.
If you are interested in adopting Vesper, you can fill out an application here.
