Nirvana never asked to live in an empty lot next to a car wash, but when her family left her behind with a blanket and some food, the loyal dog curled up on her makeshift bed and waited for them to return.
“She was lying there for two days,” Suzette Hall, founder of Logan’s Legacy dog rescue, told The Dodo.
Workers from the neighboring car wash initially saw the dog sleeping on the curb and, when they realized that her kibble supply was low, they set out a new bag of food and called Hall for help.
Nirvana ate the food that was placed out for her, but she spent the rest of her time in the empty lot sleeping. The sad pup slept for almost the entire two days, but she was still almost too tired to react when Hall got there.
“She was so sleepy,” Hall said. “She was just so exhausted from waiting.”
Hall approached Nirvana carefully, so as not to spook her. Even though she was tired, the dog stood up, then greeted her rescuer with a familiar movement.
“I got a leash around her, and she just wiggled her butt,” Hall said. “She knew someone came to save her.”
Hall brought Nirvana to her van and drove straight to the vet. There, Nirvana got a much-needed bath.
“It just washed away the sadness and everything,” Hall said.
As soon as Nirvana got to the animal hospital, everyone became smitten with her. They’d seen a lot of pets come through their doors, but the vet team knew that Nirvana was special.
“She’s something else,” Hall said. "She’s sweeter than anything.”
They set up a kennel just for her, then got the pup settled in to start her healing process. Although Nirvana was overall healthy, she was suffering from a broken heart, and her vet team was determined to fix it.
After just a few days, Nirvana was placed in a foster home that would help her forget about her sad past.
“Her foster mom just loves her,” Hall said. “She totally cuddles at night with her foster mom.”
On top of cuddling in bed with her new favorite human, Nirvana loves spending time outside going on long walks or hikes. The once-exhausted dog now has a renewed zest for life, and with that comes a lot of zoomies.
“She has a lot of energy now, so she has to get her walks in to get it out of her,” Hall said. “She’s funny, very playful and happy.”
Nirvana’s still looking for a forever home, but in the meantime, she’s making sure her foster parents and rescuers know just how she feels about them.
“She’s so grateful,” Hall said. “So thankful.”