“When he fell asleep in my hands, I started crying.”
After a day of back-to-school shopping, Evie and Leslie Benson were on their way home when they saw cars swerving around a little brown object in the distance. They soon noticed him, a dog still and terrified in front of an approaching 18-wheeler truck.
Evie Benson told The Dodo, “We closed our eyes, scared that we were going to see this dog get hit by a car.” “Fortunately, the dog was able to get out of the way in time.”
Benson had seen enough close calls to know what she needed to do.
“As I leaped out of the moving car, my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in,” Benson remarked.
The appreciative puppy was soon secure in their rear seat.
The puppy’s tail never quit wagging even though he was filthy and extremely thin.
Benson expressed his heartbreak at the thought of what this dog had endured and how terrified and alone he felt. “The drive was rather easy. When he finally slept off in my arms, I broke down in tears. I wanted him to feel that he was at last secure.
The dog was promptly accepted at the Goochland County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center once they brought him there.
Benson came back the next day to see how he was doing. The dog sprang into her arms as soon as she arrived, even though she wasn’t sure if he would recognize her.
“The emotions hit when we sat with him in the room,” Benson remarked. “My mother and I both began to cry… He curled up on my lap as I joined him on the floor, content to lie on top of me and cuddle with me.
Benson soon thought of the ideal name for the dog; she began referring to him as Wags since he was continually wagging his tail.
She’s thrilled that Wags is now receiving the care he needs, but Benson still finds it unbelievable that so many cars passed by and did not pull over to assist. Even though she can’t adopt him since she’s heading off to college in the autumn, she is certain that Wags will find his home quickly.
Benson remarked, “We made a lifetime connection and I love him so much.” “I’m happy I could help him and have a relationship with him.”
“It breaks my heart that I can’t adopt him,” Benson said. “The SPCA has gotten so many calls and messages checking on Wags … I know he will have no trouble finding a home.”
Benson knows she will always remember the little dog in the road — and surely, Wags will always remember her, too.
“We made a lifelong connection and I love him so much,” Benson said. “I am glad I was able to save him and connect with him.”
