Yesterday, news spread in the doggie community that a rescued dog, Spenser, ran away from home and his mama, Francesca, was trying to find him. This morning, we found out he thankfully came back home at 2am. We reached out to Francesca to share her story and to let everyone know that this cutie pie is safe and sound.

“It was a very stressful night,” Francesca admits, who is a full-time volunteer with the AAA and adopted Spenser four months ago. She previously had two dogs, 13-year-old Ben and 15-year-old Shadow which she took in from the streets, but unfortunately Ben passed away last year. “I used to see Spencer at the Sanctuary and he spent a year and half there and he wasn’t good – very human shy, we couldn’t go close to him, always in his little room, and one day I decided to rehabilitate him because I couldn’t bear to see him like that.”

“It’s been very difficult,” Francesca admits, saying that it took a few hours to get him out of the sanctuary and another few hours until he hopped out of the car and into his new home with Francesca and her family. “He spent the first week in the same corner, not moving – literally. Even after four months he doesn’t have any interactions with us and the kids. But slowly, slowly he’s coming around. He waggled his tail after the first three weeks.”

Francesca says she had had enough of seeing him inside while she takes out her other dog, Shadow. “He was just so petrified, he doesn’t let me put the lead on. We started two weeks ago with two leads, and he was so good – never pulled on me, and I decided to take off one lead,” she says. “It was a freak accident the way it happened. Their leads got twisted, a car was coming, I was trying to untwist them, I stopped the car, pushed the lead and it came in my hands. Making such a noise, he became freaked out by it crashing onto the ground, and he ran off. I ran after him as much as I could until I couldn’t see him anymore.”

“I felt it was my responsibility. Whoever had him before let him down and I’ve been trying to rehabilitate him and I just felt like I was responsible and I let him down because he ran away. I’m just so happy he’s back,” she says emotionally.

“Last night I left the gate open of my house and the side door open to the garden, because there’s a little place he loves to stay in. I couldn’t sleep, and at 2am I came down to check if maybe he came in again, and as I reached the windows of my garden I heard barking! I brought him in, and he acted normal. He just settled down and started licking my hands and fingers which he’s never done. I think he was kind of saying sorry.”

“We’re so very happy. He’s a difficult case but he just needs time and he’s got all the time in the world with our family. We’re just trying to rehabilitate him and make him more comfortable. I’m overwhelmed by the fact that he came back. He’s usually so scared, but the best thing out of all this is that maybe he is actually happy in our house,” she says, noting that she doesn’t get much of a reaction from him. “We’re just delight he’s back.”

“He is a traumatized dog and everyone deserves a second change for a good home. With love and patience and time they will come around to love you,” she says to anyone thinking of adopting a dog. Francesca would also like to thank those who took time out of their day to help her find Spenser.