Every morning at dawn, Joni Hart takes her two dogs, Dixie and Trigger, on a walk through their wooded neighborhood near a river. The area is full of wildlife, so it’s not unusual for Hart to see owls, bald eagles or deer along the way.
But on one recent morning, Dixie — a sweet and curious pittie — stopped abruptly on the path and refused to budge. At first, Hart assumed her pup was just distracted by a scent. She tugged gently at the leash, but Dixie wouldn’t move. Instead, she stared into a hole, glancing back at her mom as if to say, “Look closer.”
When Hart leaned down to check, her heart skipped a beat. Inside the muddy pit was a tiny, trapped fawn.
Hart quickly scanned the woods for the baby’s mother but saw nothing. She brought her dogs home and hurried back, only to spot the nervous mama deer watching from a distance before darting away. Realizing she needed help, Hart called her friend Chilo, who has experience rescuing wildlife.
Together, they devised a plan. Using a rope, Chilo gently lifted the little fawn from the mud. The moment its hooves touched solid ground, the baby bounded away into the trees.
Later that evening, neighbors saw the fawn reunited with her mother, happily roaming the woods side by side. In the days since, Hart and her pups have often glimpsed the pair on their morning walks — safe, healthy, and together again.
Hart is especially proud of Dixie, whom she adopted from It’s A Pittie Rescue. Dixie has always been clever and affectionate, but this moment revealed her incredible empathy.
“[Dixie] is very clever,” Hart told The Dodo. “She loves to open doors, peek in on you in the shower, or run into the room with a toy to play. But my favorite moments are when she snuggles up next to me for belly rubs.”
Thanks to Dixie’s instincts — and Hart’s quick response — a baby deer and her mom were given a second chance to stay together in the wild where they belong.
