It’s hard to know a stray dog’s story just by looking at them, but, according to Logan’s Legacy founder Suzette Hall, dogs who have been abandoned often have one heartbreaking thing in common.

“The ones who are lost will roam and roam for months,” Hall told The Dodo. “The ones who are dumped just stay there and wait.”

This was the case with Thunder — an abandoned dog who was spotted waiting for his owner by the same fire hydrant for days. After multiple unsuccessful attempts at trapping the dog, neighbors called Hall to help rescue him.

Even when Hall arrived with her equipment and years of experience, Thunder was too frightened to accept help. “He wanted to trust so badly,” Hall said. “He wanted to get close to me, but he was just too scared.”

A humane trap was set with snacks to lure him in, but Thunder was still unsure. “He would go over across the street and look, and then go back to the fire hydrant,” Hall said.

Day turned to night, but Hall refused to give up on Thunder, so she came up with a more enticing bait. She went to a nearby 7-Eleven, got a few hotdogs and put them in the trap.

“I drove down the street to make him think I [wasn’t] there anymore and when I came back, he was finally in the trap,” Hall said. “The hotdogs did the trick.”

Hall was relieved to finally have Thunder in her care, but she noticed that he was desperate to get back to the fire hydrant and wait for the family that left him there.

“The little bit of love he got from his family, he remembered,” Hall said. “I just think he didn’t want to leave in case they came back.”

Thunder’s rescue happened just in nick of time, though. According to Hall, as soon as she got him in her car, Thunder’s neighborhood was hit with the strongest storm they’d had in years. If Thunder’s capture had taken even five minutes longer, the already-frightened dog and his rescuer would have been caught in a torrential downpour.

“We named him Thunder because we had the worst thunderstorm after I drove away,” Hall said. “It was so scary.”

Although it is still unknown who abandoned Thunder and why, Hall believes that it’s more important to focus on the amazing new life he will have now that he has been rescued.

“My favorite noise is when the trap door shuts,” Hall said. “Because it’s closing the past and a new future for the dog.”

Like all of Logan’s Legacy rescues, Thunder is getting the vet care he needs before he can be placed into a loving foster home. Soon, Thunder will be available for adoption, where the loyal pup will finally find a family who will be loyal to him in return.

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