Hardin women provide new home for dog that tugged at heartstrings
An abandoned dog that captured the interest of Liberty County residents through social media because it would not abandon its dead canine buddy has a new home.
For close to a week, the dog’s plight was shared on Facebook by people who were concerned it might suffer the same fate as its friend and be hit by a car or die from exposure in the wintry weather.
Photos were circulated that showed the dog maintaining his watch over his buddy’s body on CR 2058 in Hardin.
As the week wore on, more passersby noticed the dog and tried to intercede, most dropping off dog food and water, and one leaving a doghouse.
Every report shared online ended the same with no one able to capture the dog and take him to safety.
That changed Wednesday evening with three determined women, sisters Sommer, 20, and Chloe Miles, 16, and their friend, Madison Waskow, 20, all of Hardin.
The trio tried unsuccessfully to capture the dog Wednesday morning but returned later in the day to give it another try.
“He would let us get near him but we couldn’t catch him,” Sommer said. “He just wouldn’t leave his friend’s side. He just stayed there. He would sniff at him like he was trying to say, ‘Get up.’ ”
After 30 minutes of coaxing the dog to come to them, the women gave up.
“We made sure he had food and left,” Sommer said. “Later in the day we thought we would try one more time. We walked up this time and he was acting like, ‘OK, this time I am going to go with them,’
“We sat down on the ground and he got close enough to Chloe
where she could grab his paw. Then Madison just walked up and picked him up and carried him to the Jeep, and we took him home.
“He still didn’t want to leave his friend though.”
They say the dog is mixed breed and think he might be parts pit bull and blue heeler.
The women said they were concerned that time was running out for the dog as another round of cold weather is expected to hit Southeast Texas over the weekend.
“We were also concerned about him getting hit by a car,” Sommer said. “People fly down that county road.”
For now, the dog is living with Sommer, Chloe and their family, though Sommer is keeping open the possibility of someone adopting him.
“We are calling him Toby,” Sommer said. “He seems to have adjusted well to his new environment and is getting plenty of food and love.”
On his first night in the new home, Toby was given a bath and allowed to sleep in Chloe’s bed. The girls’ mother says she is used to her daughters bringing home strays and is proud they are compassionate toward animals.
“I used to threaten to take away Sommer’s phone when she was younger because she kept bringing home stray animals,” their mom said with a laugh.
Sommer said Toby appears to be housebroken even though he seems to enjoy playing outside over staying indoors.
“We are going to take him to the vet to be scanned for a microchip just to make sure he doesn’t have owners looking for him,” she said. “If someone is looking for a good dog and will take him in and care for him, I will consider letting someone foster him, but I will be very picky because I don’t want this to happen to him again.”
Toby has proved he has one good dog quality going for him — loyalty.