It happens all too often. A lost dog running panicked alongside a stretch of road. It’s a sight that fills most of us with a sense of panic, immediately followed by a rush of adrenaline that sends us bolting from our cars to help.
Worse yet, when the dog is dodging traffic on a busy interstate, it’s terrifying. For us and them. But that’s exactly what happened to Bristol—just eight weeks old, scared and scooting between cars as they rocketed past her. It could have been the end of her life, but one guardian angel leapt from her car, stopped traffic, and scooped the poor girl into her arms and out of harm’s way. Then she contacted rescue to find Bristol a home. 
Bristol, a brindle Dutch Shepherd mix, had a multi-color coat with a patch of white scruff on her chest. She is a spitfire with a great personality. She loves life and everything about it—people, dogs, cats, toys, everything. One only has to gaze into her sweet eyes, and she captures your heart forever. Never mind that she’s only distracting you so she can grab your snack or whatever you might be carrying. Her ears are a never-ending source of movement and entertainment. One moment one up, the next back, then the next goes up, then to the side, and back toward the middle. Wait. Back down again.
Bristol enjoyed life as she waited for her forever home. No more freeways for this little angel! But she had lots to learn. Sit, down, paw, and especially walk on a leash. When it came to walking with humans, Bristol meandered aimlessly, ignoring any attempts to direct her energy and direction. 
One day, a family fell in love with Bristol on our rescue’s website. And they came to meet her. They’d recently lost their two dogs and had adopted a twelve-month-old shepherd, Bodie, from us just a few months ago; they thought Bristol might be a good match. Bodie was pure puppy—a jumping, chewing, energetic, pushing-the-boundaries puppy, so we questioned their sanity about wanting another.
Especially since Bristol was also pure puppy. She can easily scale a four-and-a-half-foot baby gate without a running start. She loves to chew; though she’s learning her manners, she’s still very much a puppy. Their answer: “Absolutely!” They met Bristol that weekend. When her new family came, Bristol was invited for a walk with Bodie and family. Mom walked Bristol, and to our amazement Bristol walked calmly by her side, stopping every few steps to look at her new mom for direction. It was as though she had found the leader and companion she’d been searching for.
A few days later, Bodie and family made the second trip to the rescue to pick Bristol up and take her home. And we did one more get-reacquainted walk. One of our volunteers walked Bristol, Dad walked Bodie, and Mom was on the far right. As we walked, Bristol kept pulling to get to her new mom. When she grabbed the leash in her mouth and tugged the volunteer to get closer to her mom, we knew that Bristol had found her forever home.
Bristol, now Cali, is her mom’s shadow, and Bodie is her adoring brother. She and Bodie follow each other around the house and share the toys. They spend hours running, chasing each other, and playing. Training classes are set to begin next week for everyone. Now, our freeway puppy, is now on the road to becoming the most wonderful dog.
