When residents in a Southern California neighborhood heard a commotion in their yard in the middle of the night, they didn’t think much of it at first. Until, a few minutes later, they heard a dog crying in the distance.
“They went out there to check, and there he was,” Suzette Hall, founder of Logan’s Legacy dog rescue, told The Dodo.
To their surprise, the homeowners found a big, white dog in their yard — his long leash was wrapped multiple times around their mailbox. The family had no idea where the dog had come from, but they knew they needed to find help for him right away.
“They put out food and water, but they were afraid to touch his leash,” Hall said. “And he was just so, so scared, too.”
The family reached out to Logan’s Legacy for help, and soon Hall’s rescue partner, Tracey, was on the scene. She knew she had to unravel the dog’s leash, but, at first, he wouldn’t let her get close enough.
“He was totally withdrawn,” Hall said. “He would back up from anyone who would try to talk to him or anything.”
But Tracey was determined to free the dog, who was later named Hercules. Before attempting to touch his leash, Tracey sat down next to Hercules and slowly started gaining his trust.
“She just sat there quietly and spoke to him,” Hall said. “Eventually, she was able to get another leash around his neck, and then she unhooked the horrible leash that he was left tied with.”
Finally, Hercules was free from the tethered leash. Tracey led him to her car, then drove Hercules to Camino Pet Hospital. While the veterinary staff at Camino gave him a full checkup, Hall and her rescue partners began searching for a foster family for Hercules.
When they finally found a foster family, Hercules fell in love with them right away.
“Finally, we found a foster family, and it was like love at first sight,” Hall said. “He literally melted into their daughter’s hand.”
Hercules’ foster family fell head over heels for the pup, too, and were excited to bring him home to play with his new dog brother. The two pups hit it off right away, and, for a few days, the rescued pup had the time of his life. When he wasn’t running around the yard with his foster brother, Hercules could most likely be found cuddling with his human foster sister.
Then, Hercules came down with a terrible cough.
Unfortunately, Hercules was diagnosed with a contagious virus called kennel cough. To protect his foster brother, Hercules’ medical team removed him from the home and brought him back to the clinic.
“He got so sick, and they couldn’t have him around their dog,” Hall said. “But they’ve gone over to visit him. He perks up every time he sees them.”
Hercules is still receiving treatment at the hospital, and while his foster family isn’t ready to adopt him yet, they visit him as often as they can. Hall and her team visit Hercules, too, and his reaction to seeing them is always heartwarming.
“As soon as he sees me or Tracey, he perks up,” Hall said. “He starts wiggling his tail. It’s like he knows that we are there and that we love him.”
Since Hercules’ forever home still isn’t solidified, Hall’s looking for the perfect family to commit to him forever. For a dog like Hercules, Hall hopes he’ll find a family that’ll love him just as much as he loves them.
“He’s such a loving boy,” Hall said. “He’s a little shy at first, but when he warms up, all he wants is love. He’s gonna need the most amazing home.”