When he made a pit stop at the local gas station, he never expected to leave with a new best friend.
Bill Shaver stopped at the gas station for a bathroom break and left his car door open for the moment it would take him to go in and back out. He never expected that his quick decision would change his life.
As fate would have it, a tan stray dog was hanging around the same gas station and decided that this would be the day she took a chance. She jumped into the car while Shaver was inside and was curled up in the backseat when he came out.
Surprised by his furry visitor, Shaver took pity on the dog. She was very thin and clearly a stray. He felt compassion for her situation so he decided to take her home, where his wife and other rescue dogs were waiting for him.
Once home, the dog was afraid to leave the safety of the car so Shaver picked her up and carried her into his backyard. He and his wife named her River and made sure she felt comfortable before slowly introducing her to their other dogs.
River was in bad shape. She was emaciated and covered in blood, mud, and ticks. So, they gave her a nice bath and fed her the first good meal she’d eaten in a very long time. Then they settled in for the night because the next stop would be at the vet’s office.
It was discovered, but no surprise, that River had heartworms and tapeworms. But, she got some medications that would quickly have her feeling better. Her new family was already caring for her needs.
It wasn’t long before River learned how great it was to live with a family. Slowly her nervousness fell away and she transformed into a happier dog that was no longer afraid of the world and turned to her humans when she needed comfort.
She also loves her new dog siblings, who adore her. The best decision she ever made was jumping into the right car on the first day of the rest of her life. We hope you enjoyed her sweet rescue story. As always, please feel free to share with your friends.
