Nikki, a German Shepherd, used to walk the streets of Detroit, Michigan, with her owner, but as days passed by, the neighbors spotted her all by herself, with just a stuffed toy she wouldn’t let go of.
Sadly, her owner died, and she was now left all by herself.
Nikki carried her stuffed toy around dutifully, and it was a heartbreaking sight.
“Typically, a dog who’s a stray wouldn’t hold on to a stuffie. They wouldn’t put anything in their mouths, they would just look for food,” Gail Montgomery, cofounder and director of Almost Home Animal Rescue League, told The Dodo. “But this was her security.”
The lonely pup wandered the neighborhood for weeks, hoping to find a forever home. Neighbors gave her food and water as they searched for a rescue, finally reaching South Lyon Murphy Lost Animal Recovery.
Following several frustrating days of failed attempts, the rescue team succeeded, but even on the way to safety, Nikki clutched her treasured toy as if it were her lifeline.
“She felt like that was her comfort and her security,” Montgomery said. “It’s like she thinks that’s her binky.”
Not long after her rescue, Nikki walked into Almost Home Animal Rescue League with her worn stuffie. Both she and her toy needed care, and the team was determined to help.
While vets tended to Nikki, staff mended her cherished toy.
“It was extremely dirty and a total mess with rips in it and stuff like that,” Montgomery said. “We washed it, sewed it up and we gave it back to her.”
Once they shared Nikki’s story on the social media, people started sending a bunch of plush toys to the shelter.
“Everybody’s sending stuffies to her now,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got, like, a million of them!
“This dog is the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet in your life, and I’ve been doing this for 23 years,” Montgomery said. “There’s just something about her. I love her so much.”
It didn’t take long before Nikki went into foster care. While she’s still undergoing medical treatments, her foster parents and caregivers are certain she will soon find a loving home.
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