This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog!

I adopted Deeno Martin from a shelter after he’d been there for a long time. He was found as a stray, and no one ever came looking for him. He was just two years old when I saw his picture on Petfinder. He had the most beautiful smile—and I knew instantly: he was mine.

When I went to get him, he was so excited. He rubbed up against me and the shelter worker who took him from his cage. He cost just $75—the best $75 I have ever spent. I signed the foster-to-adopt papers, but I already knew I was a foster fail. There was no chance he was ever going back.

As we walked out of the shelter, he took one last look behind him and never looked back again. He was home.

Deeno was an incredible dog. Sweet to everyone, perfectly behaved, and endlessly gentle. He loved cucumbers, snuggling, and being with his people. He was there when my two other beloved dogs passed away—dogs I had loved beyond words. And though we brought two more dogs into our home during his life, he was never jealous. He was secure in our love.

The very first day I brought him home, he ran straight into my son’s room and cuddled with him. No fear. He knew he was safe. He knew he was loved.

Deeno passed away on July 4, 2024. Fireworks terrified him. That night, he jumped into my lap, shaking. Not my son’s—mine. He chose me in that moment, like he had since day one.

We'd had him for seven-and-a-half beautiful years.

That night, I had gone to the mall with my mom. I stayed in the car a little longer than her to finish a phone call. When she opened the front door and held it open for a second, Deeno got out. We searched and searched for him. Eventually, we found him lying in the road—already gone. Someone had hit him and just kept driving. They didn’t stop. They didn’t check. They didn’t care.

We rushed him to the emergency vet, but it was too late.

And now I can’t stop thinking: I want that driver to know he wasn’t just a stray or a dog on the loose. He was my dog. He was wanted. He was loved. And in one moment, that driver took everything from me—and from Deeno.

I feel so responsible. I promised to protect him, to always be there. I never wanted him to die the way he lived before the shelter—alone. I wanted him to leave this world knowing he was loved and safe and home.

And what breaks my heart the most is wondering: Did he die scared? Did he wonder where I was? Did he feel alone again? I hope not. I hope he remembered the years of love and knew I was looking for him.

To the person who hit him and left him there: He could have been a child’s beloved best friend. He could have been an elderly person’s only companion. But he was mine. And you broke both his heart and mine.

Story submitted by Amanda Bell.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!