Theresa Brook
Sadness welled up inside of her chest as she listened to the story that the man told her. She knew at that moment that she had to rush back to the dog and make sure it was fine. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized it sooner.
She started to feel more and more sad as she listened to a tragic story involving the dog. It would prompt her to get back to the dog with incredible urgency. She just wished she’d seen it sooner.
Just Finished A Shift
Theresa Brook had an interesting life. She was the envy of all of her friends. This was because she had a job that allowed her to visit a new country every day. This was just the regular job of a flight attendant.
Her job did mean that she couldn’t be with her family nearly as often as she wanted. But she really did love being able to see the world at a pace like no one else. She almost couldn’t believe she was being paid to visit all sorts of different countries.
A Lost Pup
After a full day of flying Theresa was glad she only had one trip left. She flew from New York to Puerto Rico where she would get to spend the night at a five star hotel.
She was exhausted after a full day’s work and was grateful for the accommodation her company had booked for her. All she had to do was get a shuttle to the hotel. But that’s when she noticed him.
Checked In
Theresa had made her way to the entrance of the airport where she’d wait for a shuttle when she saw something that broke her heart. There was a dog sitting by the side of the road. She was an animal lover and couldn’t bear to see an animal in need.
She playfully scratched him behind his ear and he licked her hand in response. She was glad that she could at least give him a little love, but she had no idea what it had sparked.
Waiting For Her
Theresa walked past the dog and checked in at the hotel. She enjoyed the world-class meal and passed out on her bed soon after. She had an early day ahead of her and couldn’t rest for too long.
She got her things together the next morning and headed out of the hotel. There she got another shuttle to the airport, only to find something that she had completely forgotten about.
Concern
At the entrance to the airport sat the stray dog. His ears pricked up when he saw her and immediately ran to her side. In just one moment he had gone from a depressed pup to one full of life.
It was clear that she had left a lasting impact on the dog. He had definitely remembered her but why was he still there? She had hoped that he had a place to go but after seeing him again, she wasn’t so sure.
Nowhere To Be Found
Theresa once again gave the dog more love and made sure he was left feeling satisfied. Theresa wished she could do more but had to leave for her flight. But she was left thinking of the dog this time.
A month went by and Theresa still thought about that stray dog from time-to-time. She imagined it all alone at the airport with no one giving it any love. But one day her job would bring her back to the same place.
Where Was He?
After another month, Theresa headed back to Puerto Rico for her job once again. She thought of the pup the entire flight and was excited to give him more love. She would once again be exhausted from the day’s work, but that wouldn’t stop her.
But when she got to the airport, she looked around, expecting to see the stray that had jumped at her two months prior. But there was no dog present. Where was he?
A Face She Recognized
Theresa now began to worry about the wellbeing of the animal. One one hand, maybe he had been taken in by a nice family. But her thoughts wouldn’t let her focus only on the positive side of things.
Her heart went out to the animal. She needed to know that he was safe and sound and not in any danger. She had a bad feeling about this.
Trying To Get Information
Theresa got herself a shuttle to the hotel and walked into the lobby to check in. But that’s when she heard a bark behind her. She whipped around and couldn’t believe what she saw.
She recognized the dog immediately, who jumped on her like no time had passed between them. But she still felt like something was wrong, she always trusted her gut when something was wrong.
Doing Some More Digging
Theresa asked about the dog at the hotel’s reception desk, and the receptionist told her that the dog would appear outside the doors every evening for the last month.
The hotel staff had taken a liking to the poor stray and made sure he ate by feeding him all the kitchen scraps. But had he followed her there? She’d have to go back to the airport to discover the truth.
Asking Around
Theresa checked in at the front desk of the airport and got them to show her camera footage of the entrance. She was staff, after all, so she was allowed to. After she took a look, she noticed that the dog would go wait at the doors every morning and then disappear.
She didn’t understand why the dog was waiting at the airport every day, and more recently, at her hotel. She was now committed to finding out the truth. But she would feel sorry once she did.
Sad Story
She asked around the airport to find out if anyone knew anything about the dog. She found out that the people behind the front desk had been feeding the dog since he always showed up and looked hungry. But he wasn’t coming in for food only.
But then she started asking the right people. She asked the locals that lived near the airport if they knew anything about the dog. Their eyes grew wide, and they started talking in hushed voices. Something was very wrong.
Waiting
A man beckoned her closer. But she could never have prepared herself for what he would whisper into her ear. Even though she wanted to find out more about the dog, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Sadness welled up inside of her chest as she listened to the story that the man told her. She knew at that moment that she had to rush back to the dog and make sure it was fine. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized it sooner.
Grief
It turned out that the dog’s name was Angel and had quite the story. The dog had managed to track his owner’s scent to the airport where they had left on a business trip. He had broken out of his property and waited every day for his owner to come back.
But it was the last part of the story that made Theresa’s eyes start to tear. The dog had been through more than any animal deserved, and she had to make sure that he was well taken care of.
Lost His Owner
Although dogs don’t cry as humans do, they do show real grief. When dogs are sad, instead of shedding tears, they’ll show their sadness by whining, folding their ears back, crouching, or refusing to make eye contact.
They’ll also look like they lack confidence. Angel was displaying most of the above behaviors. It was obvious he was in mourning.
Getting Him Help
Angel’s owner tragically passed away while out of the country. Their friends and family were notified, but unfortunately, Angel never got the memo. He still thought his owner would come back at any point. The saddest part was that the owner lived alone, so there were no immediate relatives to take care of him.
He was loyal and would wait for however long he had to so he could greet his owner when he got back. But sadly, the day would never come. That’s why Theresa had to help him.
Rescue
It seemed that the dog had taken such a liking to Theresa that he had tracked her from the airport the last time she was there and followed her all the way to her hotel.
In the mornings, he would faithfully wait for his late owner. In the evenings, he’d make his way to Theresa. But what could she do?
Escape Artist
Theresa decided to take Angel to a local animal shelter to give him a chance to find a loving family. Her heart twisted as she left him there, but she knew that being in a shelter was the best thing for both of them.
After a few weeks, she was overjoyed to hear that he’d been adopted by Reginald and Alice Abney – they seemed like the perfect family. But, after just a few days in his new home, Angel began to exhibit some disturbing behavior.
Advice
Although his new family gave him everything he needed – including a big yard for him to run in, Angel wasn’t content. He would squeeze through the smallest gap in the fence and disappear.
The first few times, the Abneys were quick enough to catch him. They fixed all the holes in the fence and kept him inside at night so he couldn’t escape. But, despite taking every precaution, Angel somehow managed to jump over the fence again.
Trying Their Best
Frustrated, Reginald called the shelter to tell them about Angel’s bad behavior. The woman at the shelter cautioned him that dogs usually run away due to frustration and fear, but Reginald knew they had done everything right.
He hoped that this behavior would stop once Angel had settled in, but he coouldn’t have been more wrong.
Back To The Hotel
After the first few escapes, Angel’s new parents promised themselves to be better owners to him. They had begun walking him more regularly and even played fetch with him in the park every day.
Maybe it was more of a trust issue than anything else? They just hoped that he would trust them enough not to have to run away again. But this time Angel escaped, they never found him.
Calling The Shelter
Theresa, oblivious to the fact that Angel was having trouble settling in his new home, was relieved that she’d never see him living on the cold streets again.
Imagine her surprise when she walked up to her usual hotel one evening and found him sitting there, waiting for her. His tail began to wag wildly as he spotted his favorite person. Now, what could she do?
The Most Loyal Dog
Theresa immediately got out her phone and made a call to the shelter. They were relieved to hear that Angel had been found, but told her that his new family couldn’t cope with the stress of an escape artist dog anymore.
Once more, fate had put this dog in Theresa’s path. Now, she was starting to think that it meant something more.
Adoption
Theresa could tell that Angel was a noble, loyal dog, and had also been a loving companion during the last years of his previous owner’s life. Now, he faithfully waited for her.
In return, Theresa promised that the dog wouldn’t have to face the future on his own. But how could she ease his pain?
Taking Him Home
It was clear that Angel had chosen Theresa. She loved animals but didn’t have any due to her frequent flying as part of her job. But she felt responsible for poor Angel’s well-being after bonding with him.
She had gotten far by trying to find him a new home, so she decided that she would break her rule for him and invite him to be a part of her family. When she was home, her mother lived with her so he wouldn’t be alone, and it would be far better than being a stray.
A Third Chance
Theresa went back to the local shelter and signed all of the necessary papers to make sure that he was under her care. She took him to the vet and made sure he was healthy, and was relieved to find he was in good health.
Then there was only one process left. Theresa took her companion back with her on her next flight and took him home. He was happier than ever and knew he could rest easy in his new forever home.
Greyfriars Bobby
Slowly but surely, Angel began to light up again. He stopped crouching, whining, and trying to escape and became comfortable in his new home. Meanwhile, something much, much bigger was happening.
Angel’s heartbreaking tale of loss and hardship resonated with everyone Theresa met. Everyone started to draw parallels to Angel and Greyfriars Bobby.
The Love Of A Dog
Dog’s haven’t earned the title “Man’s Best Friend” for nothing. Greyfriars Bobby was a grieving Skye Terrier from Scotland who was well known for guarding the grave of his owner for an insane 14 years.
They even created a statue after him. The statue of the 19th-century pup who passed away in 1872 is located in Edinburgh in Scotland.
Greyfriar’s Bobby is a well-known dog celebrity who is still adored by the locals today. His story of love and loss continues to be told by the Scottish community.
Greyfrier’s Bobby’s story of heartbreak and loyalty has even inspired a number of films and bestselling books. And it looks like Angel is set to follow his lead.