In January of last year, Houston got hit with unusually freezing weather. As night fell and temperatures began to drop, Andrea Soliz noticed a dog wandering around her workplace’s warehouse.
As she looked more closely, Soliz realized that there wasn’t just one dog, but two: a mama and her tiny puppy.
“I saw them shivering,” Soliz told The Dodo. “They were very scared.”
While the puppy looked healthy, the mama dog was incredibly emaciated. It was clear she’d been spending all her energy making sure her baby didn’t go hungry.
Soliz and her coworkers tried as hard as they could capture the pups, but they were too terrified to get anywhere near them. So Soliz gathered some blankets, placed them in the warehouse for them, and prayed they’d make it through the night.
Soliz went to check on them first thing the next morning. Thanks to her quick thinking, they’d survived — and were much more trusting.
“I just gave her a hug, and she let me hug her,” Soliz said. “She let me pet her baby. She let me play with her baby.”
Soliz took them home with her and got them settled in. Once the mama dog, whom Soliz decided to name Nixi, realized she was safe, she opened up even more.
Before long, someone adopted Nixi’s puppy. But Nixi needed a little more support. After spending months on the street, she had to undergo some medical treatments. As Soliz cared for Nixi, she realized she couldn’t bear to part with her and decided to make her a permanent member of her family.
“At home, she put her little paw on my hand, and I was like, ‘I’m done. She’s mine,’” Soliz said.
In the time Soliz has had Nixi, she’s continued getting to know her. She’s learned that Nixi’s two favorite activities are getting cuddles and going to the beach.
“She’s a completely different dog,” Soliz said.
Every day, Nixi becomes even more playful and affectionate. It’s difficult for Soliz to imagine that she was ever left to fend for herself outside on a freezing night.
“It’s really exciting to see her personality bloom,” Soliz said.
