Lucy Fraustro loved her little puppy Dodger more than anything. His big head somehow seemed a little too large for his body, making his huge smile all the more lovely to see.
But one fateful day in October 2015, Dodger and his other pup siblings disappeared from Fraustro’s yard. She went out to feed them and they had simply vanished. Fraustro was heartbroken. She put up missing dog flyers everywhere and visited shelters, and even enlisted the help of friends and family. But two months later, she realized they were truly gone, and a piece of her had gone with them.
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Fraustro never was able to get new pups, as her heart hurt too much to do so. But almost a full 3 years after that terrible incident, she spotted him on TV. She’d just tuned into the Good Day L.A. morning show when the Best Friends Animal Society came onto the promote free adoptions in the show’s Pay It Forward segment.
Best Friends Animal Society
There were a number of dogs being advertised, but one of them stood out to Fraustro. The pup was a white and grey pit bull named Butler, and he had a huge grin and a big head that seemed too large for his frame. She couldn’t believe her eyes!
Fraustro hurried onto the website of the Best Friends Animal Society and located “Butler”’s photo. She compared old pictures she had of Dodger with it and immediately knew that was her missing pup. She immediately rushed to the shelter, driving for nearly an hour with butterflies in her stomach.
Danny Bress
Dodger had been staying at the shelter for years, but he’d never been able to find a home. His sweet personality, love of cuddling, and good temperament with kids should have made him a very adoptable dog. But maybe he had just been waiting for his Mom to find him again.
Best Friends Animal Society
The minute Fraustro saw Dodger, she burst into tears of happiness, completely overwhelmed. Dodger, despite his love for shelter staff, was very eager to get home, too. He didn’t even look back as he walked out of the shelter door!
Best Friends Animal Society
Dodger’s readjusted well to life back home. He was a bit shy at first but he’s enjoying being around his Mom and his new human sibling at last. Naturally, Fraustro is super protective of him now and makes sure never to let him out of her sight!
Feature Image Source: Danny Bress