On her way to a store in North Carolina, Valinda Cortez came across a dog that was living in appalling conditions. She was drenched from the rain and had a face painted with despair and surrender to life.
Valinda understood that she needed to assist her immediately. She remarked “My heart sank as I got out of the car. This young child has been exposed to a lot of rain and cold outside. She was at ease. I could tell this baby had been left behind.
The woman came up to the dog, wrapped her in a blanket to keep her warm, and stayed by her side for more than an hour in an effort to gain her trust.
Valinda called her friend Sue Massi, who is in charge of saving stray animals in the city, as soon as the dog was completely ready to be saved. Sue picked up the puppy and drove it to a shelter in less than 20 minutes.