Happy Ending for Wet Shaking Chihuahua After He's Found Hiding in Store

By Amanda Thomason January 4, 2019 at 8:44am

Thanks to a network of caring people, one little chihuahua had a home of his own to spend Christmas in this year. Considering how his year was going just two months prior, that’s practically a miracle.

The little tan pup ended up in a liquor store. He was terrified, cold and wet, and he was huddled under a juice display. The owner of the store spotted him and, to his credit, did the best he could, draping a small towel over the dog and contacting a local Chihuahua rescue.

Sabrina Wilkerson got the call and tried to get more information from the man, but based on his replies Wilkerson didn’t think he was very familiar with dogs.

“I said, ‘Is he friendly? Will you go near him?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m not going near the dog,'” she later told The Dodo.

The dog was understandably nervous and was growling at anyone who approached, which is probably why the store owner didn’t want to get close. “He showed us his teeth — he was just stressed out,” Wilkerson explained.

Working carefully, she managed to contain him in a crate and then took him to a vet. The dog was healthy, but he didn’t have any identifying information, so Wilkerson took him to a shelter to see if anyone was looking for him.

“I didn’t take him in a crate. I figured I’d just carry him in my arms,” she said. “I don’t know what I was thinking — I’d never done this before with a stray.”

Are you thinking about adding a new animal to your family this year?

Bad idea with the nervous pup, who dashed out the car door at the first opportunity. Despite multiple people trying to corral him, he got away. A woman named Austin eventually found him and got him into the shelter.

No one claimed him, so Wilkerson decided to foster him and name him after his rescuer, Austin. He was a cute little guy, but needed experienced owners.

“He seems to like to be out,” Wilkerson cautioned, “so whoever adopts him needs to understand his story, and needs to be very careful with front doors … because once he’s out, he just wants to run.”

Fortunately, Kate and Irina had been following the dog’s story and opened up their home to the former street pup. Wilkerson couldn’t have been happier with their choice to adopt him.

“They have followed Austin’s story from the beginning and they have experience with shy dogs,” she wrote on Facebook. “They were perfect when they came to meet him tonight. He was a little barky at first, but warmed up quickly with some treats & allowed them each to pet and hold him.”

“The guy has had a hectic couple of weeks and who knows his story before that. They understand that he’s going to need some time and patience. Once he has some consistency and stability, I have no doubt that he will turn into a confident, happy, loving little boy.”

“They’ve promised to keep in touch with updates. They know how special he is. Congratulations to Austin & his new family. I live for these happily ever afters!” she concluded. “My heart is smiling.”

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