For weeks, a lone German shepherd had been spotted wandering the woods near Echo Lake Park in Fort Worth, Texas. Frightened and unwilling to approach anyone, she kept her distance — until one woman’s patience finally won her trust.
“I knew it was extremely urgent to capture her,” Judy Obregon, founder of local animal rescue organization The Abandoned Ones (TAO), wrote earlier this month. “Gaining trust began [with] studying her every move.”
Judy Obregon, founder of The Abandoned Ones (TAO), had seen this before. The area is sadly known as a dumping ground for unwanted pets, and Judy has rescued hundreds of dogs there.
Each morning, she visited the shepherd, speaking softly, offering food, and repeating the same gentle promise: “One day, your life will change.”
At first, the shepherd would bolt at the sight of Judy’s truck. But over time, she began to wait for her. That’s when Judy knew the breakthrough was close.
Then, one morning, the dog revealed her secret.
Instead of coming alone, she led another frightened pup out of the trees — a scarred pit bull who had clearly been surviving by her side.
“She made it clear: If you take me, you take my friend too,” Judy said.
No one knows exactly how these dogs ended up in the woods or how they found each other — but they clearly had been protecting each other.
Judy loaded both dogs into safety, naming the shepherd Iris and the pit bull Clover.
At the vet, she was relieved to learn that neither had heartworm, which is a huge relief to Obregon, who is searching for an appropriate foster home for them.
Already, both dogs are looking in better spirits, getting closer to Obregon and accepting pets.
With food, care, and compassion, both dogs are already starting to open up, trading fear for trust — and even a few smiles.
“It’s so rewarding when we can change the fear they have into a smile,” Judy said.
Now, Iris and Clover are searching for a foster home where they can continue healing — together.
If you’d like to help dogs like Iris and Clover, you can apply to foster or donate supplies to The Abandoned Ones (TAO).