Off The Grid Animal Sanctuary (OTGAS) in Texas is used to taking in animals in need. But it’s not every day that one walks up to their front gate asking for help.
Bionca Smith, the owner and founder of the rescue, says that’s exactly what happened recently when a down-on-his luck dog just showed up.
“He showed up at our gates at our sanctuary 10 minutes ago,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post. “I heard the dogs barking like crazy, so I [looked] at the gates and noticed a dog looking in.”
The dog looked dirty and in need of a friend. He was also pretty large.
“I could tell he was looking for help, but his face was a little intimidating to me for a brief moment,” Smith continued. “I could’ve been afraid he’d bite me. He could’ve been afraid I’d hurt him, but because of the connection that comes with being at the right place at the right time … when you know, you know!”
The two shared an unspoken conversation and both decided to trust the other. She whispered to him and he approached her and when he got close he lifted his paw for her to take in her hand, which she did.
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She knew that the dog, who she now calls Deputy, had found sanctuary. She would need to quarantine him first for everyone’s safety but that didn’t stop one of her dogs, Kumo, from getting in an early “hello.”
“Kumo is our guardian dog,” Smith wrote in the video she shared of Deputy. “[He’s] the alpha of our pack and the friendliest [dog] ever. Before Deputy can enter, they must meet before quarantine.”
The two dogs were curious to meet each other and Kumo extended his paw to greet Deputy.
A week later, Deputy was ready to meet the rest of the pack and he’s getting along with the entire pack. He also loves cuddling with Smith.
In the video clip he’s seen running around and playing with his new family.
“He’s becoming more and more comfortable, that’s for sure,” Smith wrote in an Instagram comment. “He’s made himself right at home…”
She’s hoping to find Deputy a forever home when the time is right. “[H]e’s a phenomenal, fun-loving dog!” Smith wrote in her post. “Deputy is living the dream …”
Until then he’s got a family and a place to call home at OTGAS.
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