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This is Stubby. He was a Jindo mix rescued from a dog and cat meat farm in South Korea in 2017. In 2018, he was brought to Wisconsin and taken in by HSSW. When he arrived, he was completely feral and came with nine other dogs from the same farm.

Faith Phalin

Stubby and another dog were placed in my home for fostering so I could work with them and help them become more comfortable around people. Sadly, the female dog had to be euthanized due to severe aggressive behavior. I made the decision to adopt Stubby so he wouldn’t face the same outcome as his friend.

Faith Phalin

With the help of my three other dogs, Stubby and I slowly learned to trust one another and respect each other’s space. Over time, he became my quiet companion and gave me a renewed sense of purpose. I live with spinal stenosis and eventually had to stop fostering due to my medical issues. In many ways, Stubby helped me as much as I helped him.

Faith Phalin

He still struggled with trusting other people, but we built a strong bond. I planned to have him for the rest of his life. He was supposed to be my last dog.

After four years together, I had him outside on a tie-out at our home up north. I was outside with him and my other “foster fail” coonhound when she somehow unclipped his tie-out, and he got loose. I worked with Lost Dogs of Wisconsin, putting up posters and flyers everywhere.

Faith Phalin

I later learned that on the first day of deer gun season, a hunter shot him, claiming he thought Stubby was a coyote — even though Stubby was wearing a bright red halter and a green collar.

I asked for his body so I could lay him to rest with my other fur babies. The grief devastated me. Three years later, I still miss him deeply. A new dog hasn’t eased the loss.

Faith Phalin

People tell me to get over it. But he wasn’t just a dog. He was part of my pack. He was family.

Faith Phalin

If I could rescue another dog like Stubby, I would do it again in a heartbeat. They require patience and hard work, but the reward is immeasurable.

Story submitted by Faith Phalin

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