Tiffany Maki was just leaving the park after a quick outing with her own dogs when something unusual caught her eye — a small, fluffy pup sitting by himself in the grass.
He was tied to a collapsed crate and barking frantically at passersby. Oddly, he hadn’t been there when Maki arrived, which meant someone had abandoned him in the short time she’d been at the park.
“He was barking at everything and growling, but his eyes were wide,” Maki told The Dodo. “He was just terrified.”
With her background in animal rescue, Maki quickly sensed that the dog — later named Explorer — wasn’t aggressive. He was simply scared and confused, trying to protect himself in an unfamiliar and overwhelming situation.
“As I got closer, he would bark and lunge, warning me to stay away,” Maki said. “I knew most people wouldn’t have tried to help him, afraid of being bitten.”
But Maki refused to walk away. She stayed with him, giving him space while slowly earning his trust. Eventually, she was able to secure him safely and bring him home.
The transformation was immediate.
“Once we got home, he turned into the SWEETEST dog,” Maki said. “He was so well-trained — crate and potty trained, and he knew how to sit, shake, lay down, roll over, beg, and heel. Someone definitely loved him once.”
Maki reached out to her rescue network and arranged for Explorer to be taken in by Schnauzer Rescue of Texas. She cared for him overnight and dropped him off at their vet the next morning.
In less than 24 hours, the frightened pup from the park had revealed his affectionate, eager-to-please nature — and it wasn’t long before he was adopted into a loving home.
Explorer is now thriving, all thanks to someone who looked past his fear and saw a heart waiting to be loved.
