Dilly has nowhere to go. Afraid of people and herself, the black and white puppy anxiously weaves through traffic around the campus of her local school in Houston, Texas. She always makes her presence known but is often afraid of getting too close.
Dilly needs time to adjust to the people around her. Fortunately, dog rescuer Kristen Owen has been around the world.
“[I] It quickly became clear that this was a very scared dog,” Owen told The Dodo. “Once you showed interest in her, she booked and ran away. No one stopped her or got her attention. “
Erwin waited patiently until Dilly was ready to approach one of Erwin’s traps. Once safe, Owen brought Dilly home and began slowly adjusting the anxious puppy to life at home.
“I gave Dilly her own room,” Owen said. “I left her completely alone the other day and then I started staying there for a few minutes all day, either just talking to her softly or hand-feeding her. She had the cutest little lips and bites. I remember that It was day 10 and I wagged my tail off her for the first time.”
After a month in Owen’s care, Dilly finally found the courage to walk out of her room alone. Once Dilly realized there was nothing to fear, she quickly adapted to all the comforts the house had to offer.
“She finally ventured down the hallway alone and observed everything in the living room,” Owen said. “Once she found the couch, the rest was history. I remember we even put her food bowl on the couch like a princess.”
As Owen grew closer to the quirky pup, she found her resilience and tenacity very inspiring.
“I really enjoy watching a dog transform, but when it goes from a scared, closed dog to a relaxed, ‘enjoying life again’ dog, that’s what it’s all about!” says Erwin. “Once she let her guard down, she was a whole new dog.”
Dilly finally has confidence, but now she needs a permanent family. Unknown to Dilly or Erwin, a secret admirer has been following Erwin’s Instagram updates, slowly falling in love with the once-nervous puppy. It was an old friend of Irving’s high school—even though she hadn’t met Dilly in person, she knew they were meant to be.
“I’m very excited that Dilly may be relocated to the people around me,” Erwin said.
After a careful transition, Dilly moved to her permanent home. Now sheltered in the comforts of her new home, Dilly is enjoying everything she loves most.
“Dilly and her family really got along,” Owen said. “She quickly became friends with their dog and her young son. They went to Starbucks for cappuccinos and walked around the neighborhood [and she] sleep in their beds. She has everything now. Most importantly, she has a family who loves her unconditionally, even if she’s a little eccentric. “
