One morning, a woman was jolted awake by the sound of whimpering outside her home. Intrigued, she went out to see what was happening and was astonished to find a small puppy near the dumpster.
This adorable little pup was clearly homeless and in search of a family to love her, and she couldn’t have found a more perfect home.
The poor thing was exhausted and starving, so she readily let the woman’s husband scoop her up and take her into their home.
Finding The Ideal Family
Once inside the cozy home, the little pup simply slept. “She was clearly exhausted. All she did was rest. It seemed that once she understood she was safe, her playful and affectionate side emerged,” Nat, the dog’s rescuer, shared with The Dodo.
The entire family quickly fell for this bundle of joy that unexpectedly came into their lives.
As the saying goes, “Everything happens for a reason,” and it soon became clear that the puppy – named Bear – was just what this family needed.
At that time, Bear was longing for a warm and loving family, and one of the family members was yearning for a furry friend to heal his aching heart.
“2019 was a particularly tough year for my husband and my father-in-law. We lost my mother-in-law unexpectedly, which hit the family hard,” Nat recounted.
Amid coping with the abrupt loss of his wife, the family also had to say goodbye to their cherished dog, Champ.
Their hearts were broken all over again.
Just as they were about to search for a new dog, Bear appeared as the perfect blessing.
“I told my husband, ‘Let’s surprise your dad when he arrives home from work,’” Nat shared, and that’s precisely what they did.
The Simple Joys of Life
To say that Nat’s father-in-law was surprised would be an understatement.
“They handed this little pup to me, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is wonderful!’ I genuinely believe she was sent to me for a purpose,” Terry, Bear’s now dad, expressed to The Dodo.
Enduring the loss of his wife of many years, along with their dog, was immensely challenging for Terry.
He spent a long time in a gloomy place.
“Bear helped me find my way through it all,” Terry added.
The connection they formed was exceptionally strong from the start. Bear has an uncanny ability to sense when Terry is having a bad day, and she is always there to bring him comfort.
Initially, they speculated that Bear might be a Newfoundland, but a DNA test revealed her lineage included St. Bernard. This meant that Bear was destined to grow into a big dog, but the family welcomed it wholeheartedly.
Bear is a gentle giant who adores her new dad and radiates happiness.
“I genuinely don’t know how I would manage without her,” Terry noted.
