Two years ago, April Morgan and her fiancé, J.C., toured a home they were interested in buying. When they walked into the backyard, they noticed an old doghouse — with a dog inside.
At first, Morgan couldn’t process what was happening. Was the dog there by mistake, or had she been abandoned?
“Honestly, I was just in shock,” Morgan said in a video for The Dodo. “I was like, ‘I have to do something.’”
Morgan was heartbroken when she learned the truth: The house’s previous owners had left their dog behind on purpose. In their real estate purchase agreement, they’d explicitly stated that they were leaving the dog on the property because they didn’t want her anymore.
The dog was 10 years old, and her previous owners had adopted her when she was a puppy. Even after a decade spent together, they tied her up in their yard and abandoned her like she didn’t matter.
Morgan didn’t understand how someone could treat any pet so cruelly, especially one as lovable as the pup she and her fiancé had found.
“When I first met her, I thought she was the sweetest dog ever,” Morgan said.
J.C. let the dog off the leash she’d been tied up with and let her run freely around the backyard. In that moment, the dog seemed to understand that she was finally safe.
For Morgan and her fiancé, the decision to adopt the dog was a no-brainer. They named her Molly and introduced her to their cats and other dogs.
It didn’t take long for Molly to settle into her new routine, which involved lots of frolicking, luxurious baths and cuddle sessions with her siblings.
“[S]he’s just spoiled rotten,” Morgan said.
As much as Molly loves her whole family, she’s developed a special bond with her dad, J.C. Perhaps it’s because he’s the one who first let her off the leash she’d been tied up with.
“She follows him around everywhere,” Morgan said.
It means the world to Morgan to get to provide a warm, loving home for Molly. After everything she’s been through, she deserves to be pampered for the rest of her life.
“It’s just very heartwarming to know that she’s in a safe place,” Morgan said.
