Dilly had nowhere to go. Terrified of people and all by herself, the black and white pup anxiously weaved in and out of traffic around a local school campus in Houston, Texas. She always made her presence known but was often afraid to get too close.
Dilly needed time to get comfortable around people. Luckily, dog rescuer Kristin Erwin had all the time in the world.
“[I] quickly realized this was a very spooked dog,” Erwin told The Dodo. “As soon as you showed interest in her, she booked it and ran off. There was no stopping her or getting her attention.”
Erwin patiently waited until Dilly felt ready to approach one of Erwin’s traps. Once safe inside, Erwin took Dilly home and began the slow process of acclimating the anxious pup to life in a home.
“I gave Dilly her very own room,” Erwin said. “The first couple days I left her completely alone, then I started spending a few minutes in there throughout the day, either just talking to her softly or hand feeding her. She had the cutest little lips and underbite. I remember it was day 10 when I got my first tail wag out of her.”
After a month in Erwin’s care, Dilly finally gained the courage to come out of her room on her own. Once Dilly realized there was nothing to be afraid of, she quickly became acclimated to all the comforts the house had to offer.
“She finally ventured down the hallway on her own and observed what the living room was all about,” Erwin said. “Once she found the couch, the rest was history. I remember we would even put her food bowl on the couch like a princess.”
Erwin grew close to the quirky pup, and she found her resilience and tenacity so inspiring.
“I really enjoy watching a dog’s transformation, but when it’s from a fearful, shut down, dog to a relaxed, ‘enjoying life again’ dog, it’s everything!” Erwin said. “Once she let her guard down, she was a whole new dog.”
Dilly finally had confidence, but now she needed a permanent family. Unbeknownst to Dilly or Erwin, a secret admirer had been following Erwin’s Instagram updates, slowly falling in love with the once-nervous pup. It was one of Erwin’s old friends from high school — and even though she hadn’t met Dilly in person, she knew they were meant to be.
“I was super excited that Dilly could potentially be rehomed to someone close,” Erwin said.
After a careful transition, Dilly made the switch to her permanent home. Now sheltered in the comfort of her new family, Dilly is enjoying all her favorite things.
“Dilly really hit it off with her family,” Erwin said. “She quickly befriended their dogs, as well as her young son. They go for puppuccinos at Starbucks, walks around the neighborhood [and she] sleeps in their bed. She has it all now. Most importantly she has a family that loves her unconditionally, even if she is still a little quirky.”
Erwin made a video about Dilly’s journey, which you can watch here:
