She refused to give up ❤️
When Zaina Ateyea’s dad woke her up to tell her someone had dumped a puppy outside their house, she wasted no time. She grabbed some food and water, rushed outside, and found a terrified pup watching her from a safe distance. Ateyea sat down and began to wait.
“My dad went to go take my dogs for a walk and looked at me and was like, ‘Whatever you do, do NOT take her home,’” Ateyea said in a video on TikTok. “And I said, ‘You’re the one who mentioned her to me and told me to come help.’ So whatever happens happens.”
Ateyea managed to get the food and water closer to the dog, later named Muffin, so she had easier access to it while Ateyea worked to gain her trust. She also started to close the gap between her and Muffin very slowly.
“I’m not positive what I want out of this, I just want her … I just want her, I guess,” Ateyea said.
As the day went on, Muffin got spooked and ran away, but Ateyea managed to stay close behind. At some points, Muffin would run incredibly close to her rescuer, and Ateyea could tell Muffin was starting to get used to her.
Four hours after the journey started, Muffin finally lay down right behind Ateyea, and she could barely contain her excitement. She was eventually able to coax Muffin into her yard, then lay down next to her for two hours to get her comfortable enough to finally pet her.
“Can’t get her leashed yet,” Ateyea said. “She’s so skittish.”
The next day, with Muffin safe and secured, Ateyea began searching for a forever home for her. As much as she wanted to keep her, she had already brought home several rescue dogs before, so the house was at capacity. She was committed to finding a place for Muffin, though, having already fallen deeply in love with her.
“She was so excited to see me, and I’m so proud of her for opening up to me!” Ateyea said.
Ateyea’s neighbor brought over a scanner o they could see if Muffin had a microchip, and she didn’t have one. It seems likely that Muffin was dumped in Ateyea’s neighborhood and was lucky enough to wander over to the right house.
Over the next few days, Ateyea took Muffin to get bathed, buy toys and be seen by the vet. After being showered with so much love, Muffin’s true personality emerged and she transformed into a great big cuddlebug. She’s even been getting along with her foster brother, Ollie, who can be dog-reactive but loves Muffin.
The plan is still to find Muffin a forever home, but for now, she’s thriving in her foster home — all because Ateyea sat down in the grass and refused to get up until Muffin was safe.
