Freshy
Freshy was a very happy Pit Bull living with a family in Brooklyn, New York. This two-year-old dog spent his whole life with a family with four children. He also shared his home with a small dog, a big dog, and a cat. He got along great with his human family as well as his animal family. His owners described him as being gentle, affectionate, and playful. Freshy loved his family, and everything was going great up until his owner became pregnant with baby number five.
Too Much
When Freshy’s owner found out that she was pregnant, she wasn’t worried about having too much to worry about. It wasn’t until she gave birth to her baby that she realized that with her children and all of her pets, that Freshy was just too much for her to care for. She decided that for the sake of her family that Freshy would have to find a new home. As much as it hurt the family to say goodbye, they had no other choice.
High-Kill Shelter
The family needed to find Freshy a new home quickly, so they brought him to an animal shelter in Brooklyn, New York. Unfortunately, the shelter they took him to was a high-kill shelter. Because the shelter was filling up quickly, Freshy was given a deadline for the rest of his life. The shelter decided that on October 11, 2018, at 5 pm, Freshy would get put down if nobody came to adopt him. Julie Carner, an employee at the shelter, knew how sweet Freshy was and didn’t want to see him die. She knew that she could find him a great home, so she posted a photo of him on Facebook. In the photo that she posted, Freshy looked terrified and brokenhearted.
Alana Guerrini
Alana Guerrini is an animal rescuer from New Jersey. She volunteered for an organization called Eleventh Hour Rescue, and the group is dedicated to saving animals before they are put down in shelters. When she saw the photos of Freshy online, she knew that she had to do something to help him. She only had a few hours left, and her home was an hour and a half away from the shelter where Freshy was. It was a race against the clock, and Alana raced to the shelter to save the Pit Bull’s life. When she got to the shelter, it was 4:58 pm. Freshy literally had just two minutes to live when Alana arrived.
The Ride Home
Alana brought her 19-year-old son with her for the ride to get Freshy. As the mother and son were walking out to the car, they decided that Freshy wasn’t a good name for the dog. They renamed him, Stormy, and headed back to New Jersey. In the car, Stormy wanted to sit on Alana’s son’s lap the whole way home. He had to sit in the back seat so that there would be enough room for him and Stormy to sit comfortably. Stormy wasn’t shy at all. He spent the ride kissing Alana’s son and occasionally, he would lean forward to kiss Alana too. It was like he knew that this family had saved him, and he was trying to show his gratitude.
Getting Stormy Home
When they got Stormy home, he continued to show his love and gratitude. He followed Alana’s son around the house everywhere he went. Alana was shocked at how big this dog’s heart was and how sweet he was. When Alana’s son got sick, Stormy stayed by his side the whole time. He stayed nuzzled up with the young man until he was feeling better.
Playing With Stormy
Alana’s son loved to play with Stormy, and she couldn’t believe how gentle he was. When the two would roll around on the floor, he never growled. When Alana’s son would put his arm in Stormy’s mouth, he never bit down. Alana says that he is the gentlest dog she has ever seen.
Finding a Home
As much as it broke her heart, Alana knew that she had to find Stormy a forever home. She knew that she would miss him, but he needed a family who would care for him for the rest of his life. She received plenty of applications from people wanting to adopt Stormy. When choosing his forever home, she wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t end up with a family who would end up bringing him to the shelter the way that his former family did.
Stormy’s Forever Home
Finally, Alana found a home for Stormy. He was adopted by a loving family who sends Alana photos and videos often. They also send updates letter her know how well their new family member is doing. When Alana receives the updates, she posts them on her Facebook page so that her followers can also see how well Stormy is doing. Most of the comments she receives are positive. People think that it is great that she helped Stormy find a forever family.
Stormy’s Hero
This dog was minutes away from being put down, but a woman saw his picture and raced to save him. She truly is Stormy’s hero.
Alex Carson
