Trust is something earned not given.

A woman named Veronica Shea was willing to spend as long as needed to earn the trust of three abandoned dogs she found on a mountain.

She was hiking with her dog in Angeles National Forest one day and was startled when she turned a corner and saw a black animal dart up the side of the mountain.

When she realized it was a dog, she slowly approached and saw there was not just one dog but three large black dogs, which turned out to be Cane Corsos. They were all really malnourished and she could see their ribs. She offered them water and tried to bribe them with food to follow her to her car, but they wouldn't come.

Photo: Pexels

The dogs were unsure of the new person and would run away when Veronica tried to approach them. However, she refused to leave them on the mountain to die.

She left the dogs food and vowed to return the following day to try again. Meanwhile, she phoned animal control who told her the terrain was not safe and to "stop calling".

Veronica returned with food and water the next day, as she promised, to slowly start to earn the trust of the abandoned dogs. Her dad came along and named the dogs Gracie, Steve, and George.

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Another good day on the mountain! All 3 remained close throughout their updated feeding process. They are now so comfortable with us they see us coming and run to meet us where we feed them! They talk to us and are no longer startled if we stand up or speak to them. They are such good doggos! Very sweet and goofy! Just look at those faces! #teamcanecorso #gracestevegeorge

A post shared by Gracie, Steve & George (@mountainrescuedogs) on Apr 23, 2020 at 4:05pm PDT

It took nearly a month before they started to eat out of her hands, but still refused to be caught. "For 3 weeks, we would spend at least 2-3 hours a day feeding them up there," Veronica told The Dodo.

During that time the area experienced inclement weather, but Veronica and volunteers made a makeshift shelter for the dogs to get out of the cold and snow.

Photo: Pexels

Just when she was starting to feel helpless, three local rescues and a dog search and rescue group stepped up to help. Together, they came up with a plan to set up a trap with food that would close with a remote. The starving pups wasted no time in wandering into the crate and were finally captured. They were carried down the mountain by search and rescue teams.

"Once we got them, I basically just cried all the way down the mountain," recalls Veronica.

Deity Animal Rescue group offered to rehab and care for the dogs until forever homes were found. Through lots of human interaction and training, the dogs are starting to trust again and come out of their shells.

All the time and effort Veronica, local rescue groups, and everyone else put in has paid off as the dogs are safe and thriving in their new environments.

Photo: Pexels

"George, Grace and Steve continue to warm our hearts and make us laugh! Watching them 'be dogs again', who are now wrestling and playing with other dogs and finally wagging their tails and going on walks is the best feeling ever for us! It's why we do what we do," posted Dog Days Search & Rescue Team.

The rescue group recently posted that Gracie and George are ready to be adopted. They are looking for loving families who will be patient and promise to love them forever.

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Telling their story again. Because this is important... April 20, 2020. The day our Mountain Rescue Dogs @mountainrescuedogs Grace and Princess George mustered up the courage to take food from a human hand. Seven days later, @dogdayssar and team successfully rescued these two girls, plus their baby brother, from the extreme hillside where months before a human had dumped them to die. . Today, after 134 days of rehabilitation, these brave survivors are ready to find their Forever homes. Yes, they are still a work in progress (aren’t we all?) but they have come so, so far. Together with @istandwithmypack and @pawsforlifek9 we cannot wait to get them moving into the best phase of their lives. . A few mandatory essentials for our adoption applicants include: * prior large breed / Cane Corso experience. * another dog in the home who is well balanced with medium and respectful energy. * no children under the age of fifteen * a calm household. * a backyard that has fences and gates at least 6’ high. * someone who is committed to ongoing training for an unforeseen amount of time. @cheri_wulff_lucas will continue to be available as a resource. And last but certainly not least: * kind, compassionate, intuitive hearts who will have our girl’s backs and will promise to love and protect them every day for the rest of their days. . Please watch our stories, @mountainrescuedogs and @cheri_wulff_lucas stories and our Mountain Dog highlight to see their progress and daily happenings. . Both dogs are around a year old. They have been spayed, fully vaccinated and George’s cherry eye has been fixed. Time to find them a home. Link to application in our bio. Please remember to name which girl you are interested in adopting. Thanks! . Side Note: Steve is doing well too, but will stay on the ranch a bit longer :) . Another Side Note: Team Cane Corso @veronicanow @mountainrescuedogs @bricuoco @standupforpitsfoundation @dogdayssar @montrosesearchandrescue @pawsforlifek9 @istandwithmypack @cheri_wulff_lucas could not dream of a better group of humans to be taking this journey with.

A post shared by deity animal rescue (@deityanimalrescue) on Sep 1, 2020 at 11:18am PDT

Steve still needs a little more training, but will be available for adoption soon. In the meantime, keep up to date on their progress by following them on Instagram.

Watch the heroic rescue in the video below and don't forget to share.

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