Summer Whitmore, founder of Dog Days of Summer Sanctuary, had just arrived at a makeshift junkyard in Hawaii, searching for dogs in need. She’d been leaving food out for a few, trying to gain their trust so she could safely rescue them. She wandered over to a truck where she’d seen the pups hanging out before — and spotted a face she didn’t recognize.
“I would guess she smelled the other dog smell in this vehicle or saw the food and water and moved herself in,” Whitmore told The Dodo.
Many of the dogs Whitmore comes across are terrified — but not this one. This pup, later named Peaches, was ready to be rescued. Whitmore already had a few dogs in her car, so she left Peaches some food and promised her she’d be back soon. She sped home, dropped off the dogs and immediately went back for her.
“When I arrived back, she had finished her food and she was sitting by the side of the road waiting for me,” Whitmore said. “I opened the door to my van and she hopped right in and licked my face, and off we went. I told her it was the first day of the rest of her life.”
After getting checked over, Peaches was diagnosed with mange, worms and fleas, as well as being underweight and having several wounds all over her body. She’s actively being treated for all of her ailments and is on a special diet to help her get back to a healthy weight.
Peaches is healing at the sanctuary and is absolutely thriving in her new environment. So many of the dogs Whitmore helps need a lot of time to warm up to their rescuers — but Peaches was all warmed up from the moment she arrived.
“Some [dogs] are thrilled, and that was Peaches,” Whitmore said. “It was like she was saying, ‘Finally, I can rest.’”
Now, Peaches is learning how to be a dog, relaxing, playing with toys and getting used to walking on a leash. She loves cuddling, playing fetch and frolicking in the water, and Whitmore is confident she’ll make the perfect addition to someone’s family once she’s ready.
“I find that most strays have some anxiety as they go through the process of being rescued to finding their forever home, so [she needs] a family that is willing to heal and grow with her and be patient as she finds her footing in this world,” Whitmore said.