It was a cold, foggy winter night in Parkville, Missouri — the kind of night when most people stay safely inside. But as Emily Orr drove home from her mother’s house around 9 p.m., she heard something that stopped her in her tracks: a faint, desperate cry coming from the closed dog park below.
Despite dangerous road conditions and a known history of fatal accidents in the area, something told her she couldn’t turn back. She had to make sure no one was out there — especially not alone.
As she crept toward the park, her headlights illuminated a heartbreaking sight: a lone dog, staring back at her through the fence.
“I was shocked,” Orr told The Dodo. “I couldn’t believe somebody actually left their dog!”
With her young daughter in the backseat, Orr hesitated to approach but quickly called the police and her mom for backup. As she drove around looking for the dog’s family, the pup frantically followed her car along the fence, crying and whining.
“She was definitely just as scared of the park at night as I was,” Orr said. “She wanted help.”
When her mom and the police arrived, they approached the fence together. The dog, later named Emilia, rushed to greet them with tail wags and excited whimpers. The moment Orr’s mom opened her car door, Emilia jumped right in — grateful, hungry, and clearly relieved.
“She was loving the treats my mom brought,” Orr said. “She tried to stick her whole head in the box!”
Despite her joyful spirit, Emilia was alarmingly thin. Orr suspects she had only just been abandoned after sunset — a stroke of luck, because one more freezing night in her condition could have been fatal.
“She wouldn’t have made it through the night,” Orr said.
That night, Orr’s mom gave Emilia a warm place to sleep — and although the anxious pup barked nonstop and chewed on doorframes, it was clear she just needed a little time. The next day, a kennel was brought in, and Emilia curled up inside like she’d been doing it her whole life.
“She was clearly house- and kennel-trained,” Orr said. “I can’t express how gentle this dog is.”
In the days that followed, Emilia’s true self began to shine. She showed interest in toys — especially a stuffed Lamb Chop — and even bonded with the household’s senior cats. But it was during a terrifying medical emergency that the family saw just how special she really was.
When Orr’s mom suddenly collapsed from a ruptured appendix, Emilia never left her side.
“She gently rested her head on my mom’s stomach while she lay there in excruciating pain,” Orr said. “She didn’t leave her.”
Though Orr’s mom couldn't keep Emilia long-term, she helped find her a safe place to land. With support from Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter, Emilia was placed with a loving foster family where she’s been thriving ever since.
Now, she’s just waiting for the final piece of her journey — a forever home.
“She’s so ready,” Orr said. “I hope she finds her perfect family.”
To help animals like Emilia, consider donating to Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter here.
If you live within four hours of Parkville, Missouri, and want to adopt Emilia, you can inquire here.
