10/16/2026
Sometimes one rescue will rescue another. ❤️🐾
Lucy and Lexi were both rescue dogs. And many years ago, they taught me something about kindness, compassion, and the remarkable connections animals can make with one another.
Lucy was painfully shy. The kind of dog who seemed afraid of her own shadow.
One day, while staying at my home, Lucy retreated upstairs to my bedroom and settled on my bed. She seemed comfortable there, away from the activity and the other dogs, so I let her be.
A little later, Lexi arrived for her stay.
Almost immediately, Lexi headed straight for the stairs.
"Lexi, come back here! Lexi!"
But she kept going.
When I finally went upstairs, I found something I will never forget.
Lucy was still on my bed. Lexi was standing beside it, her front paws resting on the mattress, leaning toward Lucy as though the two were having a private conversation.
I have no idea what Lexi was telling her, but something about that moment made me leave them alone.
A few minutes later, they came downstairs.
Together. Side by side.
And Lucy, who had been too frightened to join the others, began interacting with the dogs downstairs.
But here's the most remarkable part. Lucy never went back to being that frightened, withdrawn little dog. From that day forward, she continued interacting with other dogs and people.
Still shy, but willing to engage.
Whatever happened between Lucy and Lexi upstairs that afternoon changed something for Lucy.
I don't know what Lexi communicated to her. I don't know why she seemed so determined to find her.
But I do know that one rescue dog reached out to another, and something wonderful happened.
In more than two decades of caring for animals, it remains one of the sweetest things I've ever witnessed.
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. We often talk about the difference we make when we rescue a dog.
But sometimes, one rescue will rescue another. ❤️🐾