When we welcome a canine companion into our lives, we make an unspoken pledge to cherish them eternally. Blanketed in our affection, these treasured pets mature into cheerful, self-assured beings.
Thus, my heart splinters whenever another tale circulates of a abandoned dog, renounced without cause or concern for their welfare.
Bewildered by the inexplicable separation, these faithful creatures cling to the belief that the abandonment is merely temporary, that their humans will return.
One such devoted soul was Ribbles, a gentle-natured stray, who persisted in anticipating her family’s return after they deserted her at a railway crossing, heedless of the mortal peril it entailed.
Just how long could she sustain her tireless vigil before either starvation or a passing train claimed her first? Would she finally discover the loving home she so richly deserved?
Trusting Her Family Would Come Back
Image Source: Suzette Hall
A forlorn figure perched alongside the railroad tracks, Ribbles awaited her owners’ return despite the imposing trains thundering past. She dwelled there after being left behind, never doubting they would reclaim her eventually.
The persistent pup disregarded the daily hazards, focused single-mindedly on her family’s arrival. As days turned to weeks, her optimism waned but she remained steadfast. The yearning for her cherished people prevailed over instincts for self-preservation.
By fortune, her circumstances captured the notice of a sympathetic woman just as Ribbles scrambled to avoid an oncoming express. Though relieved to see the dog unharmed, subsequent efforts to retrieve her failed.
Urgent Rescue Mounted
Image Source: Valerie Spolsky
Upon being alerted, dedicated rescuer Suzette Hall of Logan’s Legacy immediately commenced efforts to save the stranded stray from her precarious surroundings.
“When I arrived the first day, I witnessed Ribbles evade five passing trains by ducking into a gap in the fence,” Hall recounted. “I discovered railway staff had taken to feeding her scraps on the other side.”
They permitted Hall to position a humane trap on the property baited with food. Despite waiting overnight for Ribbles to enter of her own volition, the cautious creature resisted. Hall withdrew temporarily, returning the next morning to find coyotes prowling dangerously close to the rails.
Eventually her perseverance paid off. Entering the enclosure, joy overwhelmed her spying Ribbles confined safely inside the trap! For the first time in weeks, the loyal dog was secure.
Image Source: Suzette Hall
Veterinary Care and Recovery
Transporting Ribbles to Camino Pet Hospital, examination revealed concerning infections and inflammation from her extended exposure to the elements. Likely these minor tribulations hardly hindered the spirited survivor. Her courage facing each day solo astounded and humbled Hall.
“Ribbles demonstrated astonishing bravery residing for so long unassisted in such hazard,” she remarked. “Yet her devotion never wavered, retaining hope until the last of seeing her family again.”
A Loving Home At Long Last
Image Source: Suzette Hall
Fully mended, her fretful ordeal concluded with adoption into a permanent loving home, renamed Lucy. Thriving in the idyllic surrounds of Joshua Tree, her new existence overflowed with leisurely hikes and snuggles with her canine sister – a bittersweet conclusion after enduring unimaginable adversity.
Sadly Ribbles’ tale rings all too common. Whenever sighting abandoned animals, alert authorities promptly. Only together can consciousness be raised and helpless creatures spared such cruelty.