For days, people in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, noticed a collie-like dog lingering at a local park. She sat in the same spot, curled against the cold, watching and waiting as if hoping her family might return. But no one ever came back for her.
Concerned neighbors reached out to Janine Guido, founder of Speranza Animal Rescue. When Guido arrived, she quickly saw the heartbreak in the dog’s behavior.
“She was staying in the same spot — as if waiting for her family to return. But they never did,” Guido told The Dodo.
Locals began sending in sightings to help Guido track the frightened pup, now named Carla. Though Guido managed to hand-feed her a few times, Carla bolted every time she tried to slip a leash around her.
“She wanted to trust me,” Guido said. “But she was so scared she just couldn’t let me.”
Carla’s story spread across Speranza’s Facebook page, where Guido described the heartbreaking scene: “Ever wonder what a dog dumped by her owners does? Sits and watches. Waiting for her family to come back.”
“The park was a highly populated area,” Guido explained. “And she kept getting spooked with all the people around. Eventually after others had tracked her through the woods she relocated.”
For two long days, Carla eluded capture. She darted into the woods when the park grew too crowded, and each time Guido got close, the nervous pup disappeared again.
By Wednesday, there were no sightings at all, and people began to fear the worst. Then, early Thursday morning, a call came in — Carla had been spotted sleeping under a porch.
Guido rushed to the scene, but the nervous dog bolted once more.
Finally, with the help of two kind women who blocked off Carla’s escape routes, Guido coaxed her onto a porch and slipped a leash around her. This time, Carla didn’t resist.
In a Facebook Live video moments later, Guido turned the camera to her passenger seat, where Carla sat at last.
“We got her! I’m so excited,” she said. “Your new life has begun. You’re safe now and we love you.”
At the vet, Guido learned that Carla was around 10 years old, severely underweight, and had no microchip.
With no reports of a missing dog in the area, it became clear she had likely been abandoned.
Exhausted from her ordeal, Carla could barely keep her eyes open. Guido quickly arranged a foster home, where the tired pup finally had a warm bed and gentle care.
“She’s so sweet, just so scared,” Guido said. “But once she was in my car, it was like she knew she was safe.”
Carla is now resting, recovering, and rediscovering what it feels like to be loved. When she’s ready, she’ll be searching for the forever family she’s always deserved.
To adopt Carla, you can visit Speranza Animal Rescue's website to learn more. To help Speranza save more dogs in need, you can make a donation.
