Jacks Anderson and her wife were simply grabbing lunch at a fried chicken stand when an unexpected soul quietly captured their hearts.
Lying just beneath the barstools was a large black pit bull, her eyes fixed on the couple as they ate. She didn’t beg, bark, or move — just silently watched.
“She never took her eyes off of us,” Anderson told The Dodo. “But she didn’t come close or ask for food.”
A few moments later, the food stand’s staff came outside and shooed the dog away. She slunk down the sidewalk, clearly frightened. And then, she was gone.
But fate wasn’t finished with them.
Driving home after lunch, Anderson and her wife spotted the dog again — and this time, they noticed something they hadn’t before: she was very pregnant.
“My wife grabbed our leftovers, and I carefully approached her to put them down,” Anderson said. “She was so timid, and when we got closer, we saw the scars on her. It made sense why she was hesitant.”
With patience and gentle voices, the couple gradually earned the dog’s trust. Eventually, she crept close enough to take food from their hands. It was then that Anderson and her wife carefully lifted the exhausted dog into their car.
The dog — now named Poppy — didn’t resist. In fact, something unexpected happened.
“We just paused in the car to let her settle,” Anderson said. “But honestly, she was more calm than I ever imagined. I started recording my wife comforting her, and that’s when I noticed… she had tears in her eyes. I’ve never seen that before. It broke me.”
They rushed Poppy to a vet, where she was treated for fleas and worms. Thankfully, she was otherwise healthy and ready to rest. Back home, Poppy spent her first days sleeping — deeply and peacefully.
“She got used to the couch right away,” Anderson said. “In the last couple of days, she’s become more active — curious about our other dogs and following me around.”
Though she came from a place of fear, Poppy quickly revealed her true self: affectionate, gentle, and deeply grateful.
“She’s the kind of dog who just loves being loved,” Anderson said.
Initially, the couple intended to foster Poppy through her pregnancy. But once she arrived, it didn’t take long for them to realize she belonged with them — permanently.
“We’re massive foster failures,” Anderson joked. “But honestly, there are worse things to be.”
Poppy now fits seamlessly into the family, getting along beautifully with the couple’s other rescue dogs. As she prepares to welcome her puppies, she does so surrounded by love and safety — something she may have never known before.
Anderson and her wife will care for the puppies until they’re old enough to be adopted into loving homes. But for Poppy, the search for home is over.
“She’s staying with us,” Anderson said. “We’re still learning about her every day and building trust. After everything she’s been through, I can’t imagine sending her off somewhere new. She deserves peace. She’s earned it.”
Want to follow Poppy’s journey? You can keep up with her and her growing pups on TikTok and Instagram.
