One day in Detroit, Lilia Toscano noticed something strange outside her house. There was a big tote bag sitting by the side of the road, taped shut. It didn’t look like trash — it looked out of place. Lilia had a bad feeling about it, so she went outside to check.
When she opened the tote, her heart dropped. Inside was a small dog, curled up and shaking. He looked terrified and didn’t move an inch.
Lilia knew she had to act fast. She called her neighbor for help, and together, they brought the little dog into the house and contacted P.O.E.T. Animal Rescue. He didn’t move at all — just sat there, frozen, too scared to even lift his head. They decided to name him Kendrick.
A volunteer from the rescue came to pick up Kendrick and took him straight to the vet. Everyone was worried he might be hurt. Thankfully, the X-rays showed he wasn’t injured — he was just frightened. At the vet, he slowly started to trust one of the vet techs. But it was clear he’d been through something awful. He didn’t know who he could trust.
That’s when Lauren Boesen stepped in. She’s a foster volunteer with the rescue, and when she heard about Kendrick, she offered to take him in.
“I met him at the vet,” Lauren said. “He was hiding in the corner, so nervous. I sat on the floor and started talking to him in a soft, baby voice — and then, his little tail wagged. It was the first sign he might trust me.”
He let her put on a collar and leash. He even jumped into her car and looked out the window like any curious pup.
When they got home, Lauren realized he didn’t know how to be a dog. He didn’t play. He didn’t give kisses. He wasn’t sure about being petted. But Lauren gave him time and space. She let him figure things out on his own.
And slowly, he started to change.
“Over the last few weeks, he has grown now to love cuddles and pets,” Boesen said. “He also now loves to get picked up and run around in the yard. He absolutely loves running through the snow.”
Kendrick — that’s his name now — is still learning to trust. But with every day, he’s becoming more of the happy dog he was always meant to be. He’ll stay with Lauren until the perfect forever family finds him.