Each day, we hear an array of tales from the realm of dogs, encompassing both sorrowful and joyful narratives. This serves as a testament that dogs are creatures that experience numerous circumstances in a life that is frequently quite tumultuous.
The journey of one particular dog did not foretell any such events since she was embraced early by a caring family and lived contentedly in a cozy home. Nonetheless, the occurrences during a specific phase of her existence serve as the ultimate evidence that circumstances can drastically shift in the blink of an eye.
This enigmatic phase became the focus of an inquiry by those who rescued her after she was discovered as a stray in Chicago, Illinois, by animal control.
Returning To Where Everything Began
The staff at Animal Education and Rescue (AEAR), the shelter in Libertyville, Illinois, were astonished when they received a call from the police regarding the stray discovered in North Chicago. Their shock deepened when they learned the identity of the dog.
“The Police Department reached out to us because her microchip guided the officer to the original owners, who did not answer his call and directed him to us as the rescue that took in the dog,” they shared in their July 31 Facebook update.
In fact, it was a dog called Lola, known as Greta when she resided in the AEAR shelter in 2012 prior to her adoption.
Sandy, the founder and director of AEAR, promptly embarked on a quest for answers. She devoted the entire afternoon to making calls and seeking to uncover the events that transpired in Lola’s life that led her to this predicament.
What she discovered was that her initial family, who adopted her from the shelter, sold her to another person. She obtained a phone number and the name of the individual who purchased Lola, but sadly, she could not ascertain the entire truth.
“The man who answered the call stated he doesn’t recognize any individual by that name and has not lost a dog,” Sandy mentioned in a post. “I’m not entirely convinced he’s being truthful. It’s challenging to determine.”
Nevertheless, this determined woman was not ready to cease her pursuit of the truth.
Mystery Unraveled
After several days of unwavering inquiry, her perseverance bore fruit. Sandy was finally able to uncover all of the essential details concerning Lola’s history and resolve the enigma.
The couple who initially adopted Lola kept her for seven years. However, they separated in 2020, and the husband retained the dog for a year before giving her to another family.
Lola remained with that family until March 2024. However, during her stay, she was frequently relocated, and at one point, she ended up with a sister of the second couple following their move.
The woman reported that Lola exhibited very unusual behavior, frequently leaving the house and returning unexpectedly after some time. Yet, what she revealed later during the conversation is pivotal to the whole narrative.
She mentioned that her adult son had handed Lola over to a man to take her to a nearby shelter. That’s precisely how this dog landed at North Chicago Animal Control and eventually in the AEAR shelter.
Later, Sandy discovered another heartbreaking detail: her latest family abandoned Lola because they deemed her too old and claimed no one else wanted her. However, the latter statement was untrue.
Indeed, there were individuals who genuinely desired Lola, notably the compassionate staff at the shelter where her life story commenced when she still held the name Greta.
They resolved that this dog would enjoy her remaining years in joy.
Finally Found Stability
Lola was in a dreadful condition upon her arrival at the AEAR shelter, which was not surprising given her ordeals.
“Lola is also significantly overweight and is struggling to move around. This is to be expected, given her size and age.” Sandy noted in her update.
In addition to that, her nails were excessively long, but Annie Kane swiftly took care of that. They only needed to take her to the groomer to get her fur fixed so she could regain her former beauty.
Taking into account her age and health condition, Sandy and the other staff held little hope that someone would choose to adopt her. However, a kind-hearted individual, Amanda, stepped forward and chose to become her foster parent.
Upon hearing her story, she was so touched that she pledged to keep Lola for the remainder of her life if a permanent home wasn’t found.