A hero showed up in the nick of time.
By Sarah Ashley
Published on Aug 22, 2025 at 3:47 PM
A few days after the Fourth of July, a dog named Ricky found himself in a Los Angeles shelter. The person who brought him in told shelter staff Ricky was a stray, but a microchip scan revealed the truth: Ricky’s owner was the person who surrendered him.
“They looked Ricky in the eyes, lied about knowing him, then walked away without a second thought,” Los Angeles Urgent Dogs, a network dedicated to sharing dogs at risk of euthanasia, posted on Instagram.
Sadly, 5-year-old Ricky’s anxiety got the better of him at the crowded shelter. Even though he enjoyed walks with staff and behaved beautifully one on one, other dogs scared him, and he couldn’t handle loud noises.
After nearly a month, Ricky was placed on the euthanasia list. If no one adopted him by 4 p.m. on August 10, he would be put down early the following morning.
Courtney Tillia, owner and operator at Minnie’s Mutts Rescue, saw the Instagram post featuring Ricky, and something about him called out to her.
“I hadn’t met him in person, but volunteers and staff raved about him,” Tillia told The Dodo. “I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”
Tillia tried desperately to find a foster or adopter for Ricky. She knew the right person for Ricky was out there, she just hadn’t found them yet. Tillia also recognized that Ricky suffered from kennel stress.
“There are so many wonderful dogs at shelters who start to exhibit signs of severe anxiety and stress from being in that environment,” Tillia said. “I’ve noticed that it’s often the ones who are most sensitive to the shelter that turn out to be the most affectionate and loving once they’re free.”
Tillia’s worst fears became reality when August 10 arrived and she didn’t have a single home lined up for Ricky.
“I was so distraught,” she said. “I worked through the night trying to find somebody to save him, with no luck.”
The next day, Tillia called the shelter and got the best news possible: Ricky was still alive.
She had no idea what happened or why Ricky wasn’t euthanized by his deadline, but it didn’t matter. Tillia rushed to the shelter and picked him up herself, without a plan beyond saving his life. He smiled the entire way home.
“I was elated,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t have a plan and it doesn’t make sense, but we say yes and just figure it out afterwards.”
While Tillia continued her search for a place for Ricky, her husband took the newly freed dog for a walk. Ricky, as if recognizing how close he came to a sad ending, rolled in the grass and nuzzled flowers.
“He’s happy-go-lucky, goofy, sweet, and loves a game of tug-of-war with his leash,” Tillia said.
These days, Ricky is staying at a veterinary clinic. He needed treatment for kennel cough and an upset stomach, but is on the mend and still very much searching for a forever family.
Though it may never be clear why Ricky’s owner surrendered him or why this sweet dog’s life was spared, one thing is certain: Ricky has brighter days ahead.
If you are interested in adopting Ricky, you can contact Minnie’s Mutts Rescue via Instagram or Facebook.
Related
Shelter Cat With Giant ‘Cartoon Eyes’ Is Given The Most Appropriate Name
He’s not a lemur, he’s a cat 😻
Want more animals?
Get a daily dose of uplifting animal stories straight to your inbox
Subscribe
By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.
Dodo Shows
00:06
03:10
Read Full Article
Woman Sees Stray Kitten Walking On Two Legs — And Realizes He Was Born Different
“We didn’t believe it.”
Back in 2016, a stray cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in Mareen Ebelt’s friend’s yard. Ebelt’s friend told her something shocking about one of the kittens: He only had two legs.
At first, Ebelt and her boyfriend couldn’t wrap their minds around what their friend had told them and thought she was mistaken.
“We didn’t believe it,” Ebelt wrote on Instagram. “It sounded impossible. But when we saw him ourselves, there he was. No injuries, no wounds … no hind legs.”