A few days after July 4th, a dog named Ricky ended up at an animal shelter in Los Angeles. The person who brought him there told the workers that Ricky was a lost dog they had found. But when they scanned his microchip, they discovered something shocking: the person who dropped him off was actually Ricky's owner.
"They looked Ricky right in the eyes, lied about not knowing him, then just walked away without caring," wrote Los Angeles Urgent Dogs on Instagram. This group helps share information about dogs who might be put down if no one adopts them.
Sadly, 5-year-old Ricky became very anxious at the busy, noisy shelter. He was great when he walked with staff members and was sweet when it was just him and one person. But other dogs made him scared, and he couldn't handle all the loud sounds around him.
After almost a month at the shelter, Ricky was put on the list to be put down. If no one adopted him by 4 p.m. on August 10th, he would be killed the next morning.
Courtney Tillia runs a dog rescue called Minnie's Mutts Rescue. When she saw the Instagram post about Ricky, something about him touched her heart.
"I had never met him in person, but the volunteers and workers all said wonderful things about him," Tillia said. "I couldn't stop thinking about him."
Tillia worked hard to find someone who could foster or adopt Ricky. She knew the perfect person for him was out there - she just hadn't found them yet. Tillia also understood that Ricky was suffering from being stressed out at the shelter.
"There are so many great dogs at shelters who start showing signs of really bad anxiety and stress from being in that place," Tillia said. "I've seen that the dogs who have the hardest time at shelters often turn out to be the most loving and sweet once they get out."
Tillia's worst nightmare came true when August 10th arrived and she still didn't have anyone lined up to take Ricky.
"I was heartbroken," she said. "I worked all night trying to find someone to save him but couldn't find anyone."
The next day, Tillia called the shelter and got amazing news: Ricky was still alive.
She had no idea what happened or why Ricky wasn't killed by the deadline, but it didn't matter. Tillia rushed to the shelter and picked him up herself, even though she didn't have a plan beyond saving his life. He was smiling the whole ride home.
"I was so happy," she said. "Sometimes we don't have a plan, and it doesn't make sense, but we say yes anyway and figure it out later."
While Tillia kept looking for a place for Ricky to live, her husband took the newly free dog for a walk. Ricky seemed to know how close he had come to dying - he rolled around in the grass and sniffed flowers.
"He's happy, silly, sweet, and loves playing tug-of-war with his leash," Tillia said.
Right now, Ricky is staying at a vet clinic. He needed treatment for kennel cough and an upset stomach, but he's getting better and is still looking for a family to love him forever.
