Dogs Deserve Better: Sophie's Remarkable Journey

Sophie is a resilient and lucky little pup who beat the odds to find her way to safety. A year prior to coming into the rescue, Dogs Deserve Better (DDB) helped save 10 of Sophie’s brothers and sisters, but sadly she was left behind. The story begins when one of our volunteers, Amanda, spotted Sophie’s mom running along a rural South Carolina highway, dangerously close to traffic. After a frantic five-hour search with the help of some local rescue folks, Amanda located the stray dog’s owner and was told that she had just had a litter of eleven puppies that were living underneath their porch. Amanda offered to take the mom and all the puppies into rescue, but the owner refused.

Feeling torn about leaving the dogs behind, Amanda left her name and number just in case the owner changed his mind, and less than a week later she received a call saying that the puppies’ mom had been killed on the highway, and they wanted to surrender the weeks-old puppies to DDB. The puppies were immediately picked up and brought to safety, and then transported to Northern Virginia. At the time, however, the owner would only release 10 of the 11 puppies, keeping one for his daughter. Each of the puppies were adopted to great local families, and we could only hope the best for the puppy that was left behind.

The story comes full circle months later when Amanda was driving the same stretch of highway where she had originally seen Sophie’s mom, and stopped to help another dog she’d spotted running along the road. She followed the dog back to a house next to the home where the 10 puppies had been rescued, and spoke with the family who lived there. They had been feeding this stray puppy for the past 10 months, but had no idea who she belonged to. Based on the timeline, location, and the pup’s age and appearance, Amanda knew this was the puppy who was left behind. Little Sophie had survived on her own, and was being given a second chance to find a family who would love and care for her.

Since that day, Sophie’s whole life has changed. She has been in foster care with Amanda for several months now, and loves being an indoor dog and part of a family. She is crate trained, and even walks into her crate when she knows its feeding time. She’s also housetrained, but needs a consistent schedule to avoid accidents (like most dogs). Sophie was initially hesitant on leash, with all the new sights and sounds of the suburbs and choosing her own path for so long, but now loves her walks and enjoys exploring her community.

A lovable, pretty hound mix, Sophie is only a year and a half old, weighs about 38-40 lbs, and has a very a slender, dainty frame. Amanda calls her “Skinny Minnie,” and she respond to this as well as her name. She has a gentle nature, is good with kids and other dogs, and is a playful pup who would fit best with an active family. We would love for her to have a fenced-in yard so she can run to her heart’s content, or an active owner who will take her out to explore the world every day.

Amanda describes Sophie as a goofball who loves to play, and would do great with another dog playmate in her home. She loves playing fetch and wrestling with the other dogs, and will howl and grumble with her fellow pup siblings during playtime. She will let you know when she sees other dogs or people outside, and is an independent pup who doesn’t need constant attention, but has become more and more affectionate and enjoys cuddling on the couch with her foster mom.

This sweet girl has come such a long way in her foster home and is ready to start her new life. We are so happy to have been given a second chance to save this deserving pup.

Apply for Sophie today!

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