For the residents of Off The Grid Animal Sanctuary (OTGAS), feeling safe and cared for is a priority. The Texas-based nonprofit rescues and rehabilitates animals of all different sizes — and the owner, Bionca Smith, showers every single one of them with affection.

The sanctuary’s grounds radiate with love, which could be why a random dog walked right up to it the other day.

Dirty and downtrodden, the stray pup waited outside the gate for someone to help him. OTGAS’s residents picked up on his presence immediately.

“He showed up at our gates at our sanctuary 10 minutes ago,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post. “I heard the dogs barking like crazy, so I [looked] at the gates and noticed a dog looking in.”

Smith rushed to the gate to meet the poor guy. She could see that he was sad, but he was also big, so she didn’t know how to react at first.

“I could tell he was looking for help, but his face was a little intimidating to me for a brief moment,” Smith wrote. “I could’ve been afraid he’d bite me. He could’ve been afraid I’d hurt him, but because of the connection that comes with being at the right place at the right time … when you know, you know!”

Just as Smith sensed that she could trust this never-before-seen dog, he knew that he was safe with her.

Smith spoke softly to the pup, whom she named Deputy, while he made his way over to her. When he was close enough, he reached out his paw as if directly asking for her help.

Smith took his paw in her hand, falling instantly in love with him. She took him in right away and introduced him to the sanctuary.

As a stray, he’d need to quarantine before formally meeting any of the other residents. But he couldn’t start his quarantine without meeting one special dog through a wooden fence.

“Kumo is our guardian dog,” Smith wrote in the video. “[He’s] the alpha of our pack and the friendliest [dog] ever. Before Deputy can enter, they must meet before quarantine.”

Kumo was excited to meet his new friend, reaching his own paw through the fence to welcome Deputy.

Less than a week later, Deputy completed his quarantine and got to meet the rest of the pack — and he fits in perfectly.

Deputy now spends his days galloping alongside his canine best friends and his nights snuggling his beloved rescuer.

“He’s becoming more and more comfortable, that’s for sure,” Smith wrote in an Instagram comment. “He’s made himself right at home …”

Smith hopes to find Deputy the perfect forever home one day, but for now, he is safe and sound at OTGAS.

“[H]e’s a phenomenal, fun-loving dog!” Smith wrote. “Deputy is living the dream …”

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