While sitting on the porch, a woman and her family had a visitor they were not expecting. He ran straight out of the woods onto the porch.
It was a puppy who clearly needed help. So, the woman and her family did just that.
Keep reading to find out how this puppy stole an unexpecting family’s heart.
A Mysterious Guest
Sam Scott was visiting her grandmother in rural Missouri when a tick covered, malnourished puppy emerged from the woods.
“He ran straight out of the woods into the front porch where we were sitting. And was just kind of crying, sad, tiny, covered in ticks, dirty” recalled Sam.
The 6 to 7-month-old beagle, later named Duck, was clearly looking for help.
Duck was malnourished and covered in hundreds of ticks. Sam would later find out that Duck has a tick-borne illness that could cause neurological issues.
Sam and her dad hurried to the store for food and bathing supplies.
Love at First Sight
“I kind of just looked at [Duck], and said, well I guess I have a dog now,” said Sam.
Although her dad didn’t immediately feel the same way, it didn’t take long for little Duck to win over Sam’s dad.
“We did end up giving him a bath and feeding him. And by time that was over, my dad was like alright, we should probably take him home with us,” said Sam.
So, they took Duck home with them. He had a warm and safe place to sleep, maybe for the first time in a while.
Meanwhile, Sam searched online for missing dog posts.
An Unsolved Mystery
That night Sam scoured the internet for any signs that Duck had a home and a family who was searching for him.
There were no posts looking for Duck.
Just a few miles down the road from Sam’s grandmother’s house was a hunter who trained beagle puppies each spring. Although Duck had an orange hunting collar on when he was found, the hunter did not claim him.
“I wasn’t really looking for a dog at the time. But look at him, how could I leave him in the woods,” said Sam.
The decision was made, Duck would be traveling from Missouri to his new home with Sam in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The Truth Revealed
“I was worried about him because he was obviously so traumatized,” Sam said of her move with Duck.
Although Duck was very friendly with people and other dogs, he has a very real fear of everyday objects and loud noises.
Most scary to Duck are brooms and new vases.
But Duck was able to put his fears aside to start a new life with Sam. Their trip home to Virginia went perfectly.
However, not long after settling in, it was clear that Duck was having health issues. Duck was losing all of his hair and was unable to keep his food down.
With help from the vet, Sam was able to determine that Duck had a food allergy to chicken. He has not had any issues related to the tick-borne illness, and hopefully, he never will.
Forever Family
Although Sam wasn’t expected to adopt a dog that day, it felt like it was meant to be.
“It’s funny because all of the dogs I’ve ever had have been beagles, by pure accident,” said Sam. “So, when he just popped out of the woods, just this sad little beagle, I knew we had to keep him.”
And we’re sure Duck feels just as lucky to have found Sam.
Happily Ever After
Today, Duck stays far away from chicken, brooms, and new vases. He is approximately 1.5 years-old and loves his life with Sam.
He loves sleeping in, meeting new friends, and getting his zoomies out outside on his lead. Sometimes, he gets a visit from his pal Randi, and they love to play!
Sometimes finding your four legged best friend is intentional, and other times it’s fate. We’re so happy that fate brought Duck and Sam together!
