When Faith Black bent down to pick up one of her dog’s forgotten toys in the backyard, she expected nothing more than a dusty old ball.
But the moment she lifted it, something unexpected caught her eye — a tiny, delicate face peering back at her.
Inside the ball was a butterfly — fully grown, vibrant, and somehow trapped within the toy’s hard shell.
“We were so surprised,” Faith’s fiancé, Alberto Navarro, told The Dodo. “The butterfly was way too big to have crawled in through the holes.”
As they examined the ball, the couple began to piece together what might have happened. They believe a caterpillar must have crawled inside long ago, built its chrysalis there, and quietly transformed. By the time it emerged as a butterfly, its new wings were far too large to escape.
She was alive — but trapped, unable to spread her wings. So, Faith and Alberto lent her a helping hand:
Without hesitation, Faith and Alberto carefully cut the ball open. For a few moments, the butterfly sat still, stretching her wings as if testing the air for the first time. Then, with a burst of energy, she fluttered free — soaring straight toward a nearby patch of wildflowers.
“She went right to the flowers and started eating,” Alberto said. “It was amazing to see.”
If Faith hadn’t noticed the old toy, the butterfly might never have escaped. Instead, thanks to a small act of kindness, she was given a second chance at life.
“It felt really good,” Alberto said. “Saving any little life just makes you feel good.”
As for their dog’s ball? It didn’t survive the rescue — but Alberto’s pretty sure their pup won’t mind.
“I think he’d forgotten about it anyway,” he laughed. “He’s got plenty of other toys.”
