Kristin Erwin was driving home from her sister’s house when she suddenly got this feeling in her gut telling her to take a detour.
“Even though I have plenty of fosters, as I was approaching a road that is notorious for discarded animals, I couldn’t fight the urge to drive down it and see if there were any new victims,” Erwin, president of Streethearts Project, told The Dodo.
As she pulled onto the infamous dumping road, she held her breath — and sure enough, a little face appeared in the road.
“[She] was following the vehicle in front of me, but eventually she fell behind,” Erwin said. “Then she did the same to me, ran alongside my van … I kept driving and didn’t stop immediately, and it was because there was a truck pulling a trailer behind me. Roads were tight, and it was best for me to turn around up ahead.”
When Erwin pulled back around and stopped her car, the pup came trotting right over to her. There wasn’t any struggle or long, drawn-out rescue. Erwin had felt she was meant to drive down that road, and the puppy clearly felt she was meant to go with her. It was as simple as that.
“She was jumping all over me, greeting me,” Erwin said. “When she poked her head in my van, I just gently picked her up and put her in the crate. We heavily foster, so luckily I always have a crate in my vehicle.”
The puppy, later named Shiloh, was a little thin and had some fleas but was otherwise in OK condition. Erwin assumed she’d only been out there for a few days, chasing cars and waiting for someone to choose her. She had no microchip and no collar or tags, so Erwin officially took her in as her newest foster pup.
Shiloh is now all settled into her foster home and getting along beautifully with everyone, both humans and dogs alike. She’s a puppy through and through, exploring the world around her and seeing what kind of mischief she can get into.
“She doesn’t know her size and will try to fit her upper half in your lap,” Erwin said. “She’s a counter surfer, so gotta keep an eye on her. Overall she’s a really good, fun puppy!”
Shiloh is in the process of getting all her vaccinations, microchip and spay, and will soon be ready for adoption. Streethearts Project is funding everything for Shiloh, and Erwin can’t wait to see this dumped puppy find her forever home and begin to thrive.
