When Stephanie from Boonie Flight Project, a pet rescue organization in Guam, spotted an emaciated dog with a bucket stuck on her head wandering around the island, she knew she needed to step in.

“We didn’t know how long she had left,” Stephanie told The Dodo. “She was rapidly deteriorating. I absolutely could not leave her.”

Luckily, Stephanie had a group of volunteers with the right tools on hand (a large net and a big crate), so they were able to capture the pup and get her to safety.

“She was very docile once we got her,” Stephanie said. “[Then] we were like, ‘Alright, we gotta figure out how to get this bucket off your head.’”

“We had one volunteer holding the bucket, and we had another one holding her back,” Stephanie continued. “Luckily, it popped off pretty fast.”

Free from the plastic bucket, the pup was still incredibly frightened. She ended up seeking refuge in the corner of Stephanie’s garage until her first vet appointment.

“Beyond being extremely dehydrated and emaciated, she was in pretty good health,” Stephanie said.

Once the vet gave her a clean bill of health, the pup, whom Stephanie began to call Winnie, was ready to be placed into a foster home.

Winnie took a long time to adjust to her new situation, hanging out in the privacy of the bathroom at her foster home for the first few weeks.

“She really didn’t care to willingly put herself around people,” Stephanie said.

But once Winnie realized that her world had changed for the better, she began to trust more and realize that the humans in her life were there to help and love her.

“Eventually, she realized dog beds are comfortable,” Stephanie said. “She discovered couches and was like, ‘Oh, this is better, too.’”

And it was in her foster home that Winnie was able to see how other dogs interact with people.

“Being in a foster home with other animals, she was able to witness animals receiving love and attention from people,” Stephanie said. “The foster really worked with her to slowly get her out of her shell and have her come out and interact with people.”

“Eventually, she did start seeking human interaction from people that she’s comfortable with,” she added.

After about two and half months, Stephanie knew it was time to begin looking for Winnie’s forever family.

And that’s when Mary and her family came into the picture.

Mary said that when she first picked Winnie up at the airport, “she was very, very terrified,” and Mary knew she had a long way to go in order to earn Winnie’s trust.

“She didn’t even know how to play with dogs,” Mary told.

Luckily, Mary’s dog, Maple, took on a big-sister role almost as soon as Winnie arrived. Maple took Winnie under her wing and showed her how to play, how to trust and how to be part of the family’s pack.

“They have formed an attachment that I don’t see in any of our other dogs,” Mary said. “She watched Maple to see how Maple behaved with everybody. And slowly she’s building that trust with people and other dogs.”

“She is definitely part of a pack now,” Mary said of Winnie. “She’s come so far.”

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