The quickest way to a dog’s heart? His stomach.
This is true for many dogs, but especially Ted. Ted is a half German Shepherd, half Akita mix who found himself in the Northwest Territories SPCA shelter in Canada earlier this year. Like many other shelter pets, Ted was afraid of his new surroundings, confused, and scared of the staff.
Ted met Abbey, a volunteer, on the second day of his stay at the shelter. Abbey’s shift duties included trying to take Ted out for a walk, but the poor pup was too frightened to trust her, and preferred to stay put in his kennel.
“I fed him cheese-flavored bacon strips to try to get him to love me,” Abbey told CBC News North.
She then asked the handyman to build Ted a larger kennel because she felt he needed more space, and went about her day. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and she had no more interaction with Ted, but just that small moment struck a chord with the pup.
Abbey left for her job at the airport in the wee hours of the next morning, and returned around 6 AM to find a dog sitting on her deck, barking at her. Cautiously, she approached her home, and the dog allowed her to pass without harming her. When she saw that the dog wasn’t a threat, she lured him closer and saw a nick on his nose – and recognized him as Ted!
Somehow, between the time Abbey left the shelter and returned home the following morning, Ted found his way out and into her yard! Abbey called the shelter and they confirmed that Ted was not in his kennel.
Dogs like Ted are known for their incredible sense of smell, but Ted’s must be extremely well honed! Not only did he have to find a way out of his kennel, then the shelter — he had to sniff his way across nearly 3 and a half miles. Ted trekked from the shelter on the outskirts of their town, in an industrial area, and past the airport to find Abbey’s home. Ted’s ability to find the house, especially one he had never been to before, is nothing short of a miracle!
Abbey believes so, too. She took Ted’s amazing trip as a sign, and decided to make him a part of her family! She told CBC News North:
“It doesn’t really make sense, how he would have chosen or found me out of all the smells… It’s just, it’s the weirdest, the most amazing thing that’s ever happened.”
Abbey spends lots of time with Ted, and he has no problem letting her take him for walks! Abbey had to move to take him in, as her home didn’t allow pets, but it was a small change to make in the face of a miracle.
H/T: CBC News North
