When Judy Obregon received a photo of a poodle mix lying on a concrete driveway, she thought the dog was dead. In fact, she was sure of it. But when Obregon went to collect the dog’s body, she got the biggest surprise.
Before receiving the dead dog photo, Obregon, founder of a dog rescue group called The Abandoned Ones, had gone looking for the poodle mix in a neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas. A resident had explained that the dog was running around the area as a stray, and local kids were tormenting him.
“Kids were throwing food out on the street, so the dog would run out onto the street,” Obregon told The Dodo. “Then neighbors saw some children tying a water hose around his neck.”
Obregon visited the neighborhood three times, but each time she couldn’t find the dog. Then she got the photo of the dog from the same resident who initially contacted her — this person thought the dog was dead as well.
“I started crying because I felt like I didn’t do enough,” Obregon said. “I felt like I wasn’t there on time to get to this dog before he ended up in this situation.”
But when Obregon returned to the neighborhood, she was astonished to find that the dog was still alive.
“When I came to him, he was still in the same spot, but his head was up,” Obregon said. “I was probably the happiest person in the world.”
But the dog, whom Obregon named Gully, was in rough shape. While he didn’t have any physical injuries, he was dehydrated and weak. Obregon doesn’t believe he would have survived for another day.
Gully was also terrified, which was understandable after what he’d gone through. But once he was in the car with Obregon, he quickly relaxed.
“He started giving me kisses,” Obregon said. “He was a total transformation, I would say, within 48 hours.”
Obregon took Gully to the vet, where he stayed for a couple of days. Then Gully went home with Obregon before moving in with Obregon’s friend, Crystal Hampton, who fostered Gully until he found his forever family.
“After a few days, he just came out of his shell,” Obregon said. “He was just so happy. There were times when I even think he smiled because he was so happy.”
“We showed him that not all humans were bad,” Obregon added. “And animals are so resilient, and he put his past behind him the moment he was rescued.”
Gully eventually found the perfect home. “The last update I got was that he was living life to the fullest,” Obregon said.
And Obregon couldn’t be happier. “This is why I do what I do,” Obregon said. “And I have to say that if it wasn’t for that neighbor, who I will never know, Gully wouldn’t be alive.
She pretty much was the one who saved his life.”
