“I was running out of time … I had to do something drastic.”
When Laurie Sanchez-Guzman found out about a stray dog living in a muddy ditch and wandering the streets, she dropped everything and went to look for her. No one had been able to rescue the scared little pup, but Sanchez-Guzman rescues dogs all the time with D & A Animal Rescue, so she knew she had to try.
When Sanchez-Guzman finally tracked down the dog, later named Valentina, her heart broke. She was completely matted and covered in mud, and looked like she might be suffering from eye and ear infections as well. She needed help, fast — but as much as Valentina wanted to be rescued, she was still so scared.
Sanchez-Guzman spent hours trying to win over Valentina. She fed her from a distance and talked to her gently. She wanted to take the time to gain her trust, but unfortunately, there was a ticking clock.
“I was running out of time,” Sanchez-Guzman told The Dodo. “I needed to head back to my town to get my kid from school, and also a bad storm was starting to fall. I had to do something drastic. She was close to me eating, and I just grabbed her from her back fur and pushed her inside a crate as fast as I could.”
At first, Valentina was not at all happy about this development. When her rescuer brought her home, she refused to let anyone touch or even get close to her. Despite how sick and neglected she was, she was also stubborn and feisty. She wanted to be helped on her own terms — but after a few days, she finally accepted that she was safe, and she and Sanchez-Guzman became best friends.
Sanchez-Guzman took Valentina to the vet and to get groomed, which she hated, but afterwards she looked like a completely different dog. A new look for her brand-new life.
“She started to show her real personality, and I learned she was very motivated by food treats and human interaction,” Sanchez-Guzman said. “She was a tough cookie! Made of pure muscle, it was a bit challenging to care for her in my home full of other fosters. But, she got into a routine, and was happy when she got her one-on-one time. She was an amazing dog — a true fighter and a survivor.”
Sanchez-Guzman fostered Valentina for about a year, and during that time, she had lots of interest from people who wanted to adopt the little dog. Unfortunately, most of them just weren’t the right fit.
“So many people applied to adopt her, and we kept declining the applications because we knew she needed an experienced and committed adopter who understood that she was a warrior in a small and cute body,” Sanchez-Guzman said.
Finally, they found the right family. It wasn’t a smooth transition at first, but the family worked hard to meet Valentina’s needs. Today, she’s absolutely thriving. She’s still a spitfire, but her family loves her for it, and they’re committed to making sure she’ll never know anything but peace for the rest of her life.
