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I rescued Xico (hee-co) when he was 7 years old. He was first found hanging around my husband’s workplace. He didn’t want to be caught. It took about a week to finally catch him, and luckily he had tags so we were able to return him to his owner. My husband personally brought him back.

Roxi Baker

About two weeks later, Xico showed up again at my husband’s workplace. This time he was completely uncatchable. My husband tried so hard to gain his trust, but to no avail. He left food and water out for him every day. Some weeks Xico would be there. Other weeks he would disappear to who knows where.

Roxi Baker

My husband tried several times to contact his owner. She never responded. All we knew was that she had adopted him from our local no-kill shelter. As a last resort, my husband called the shelter to see if they could reach her. They told us she had graduated from Tech and was no longer staying in town. Not long after, the shelter called back and said she didn’t want him.

So my husband adopted a dog we hadn’t even rescued yet.

Roxi Baker

Thankfully, my husband had taken a picture of Xico. When he stopped hanging around the workplace as much, we posted his photo on our local lost animal page. Someone contacted us about a dog that looked very similar. It was him.

Now we knew where he was staying when he wasn’t at my husband’s workplace. He was traveling at least two to three miles between locations and spending time at a park near a daycare. The daycare staff fed him too.

Roxi Baker

All of this began in December. Then a huge snow and ice storm hit our area in January and February. How he managed to stay warm, only God knows. But between us and the daycare, he was at least fed and watered.

He would let us feed him—but only at a distance. He wouldn’t eat unless you tossed the food to him or left it for him to eat later. Spring break came, and I was finally able to go speak with the daycare manager. She told me he would lie against their fence but wouldn’t let anyone get close.

I spent that entire spring break bringing him food and water, trying to build trust. The daycare manager kindly allowed me to use a second, less-used fenced play area where they occasionally saw him.

So I made a plan.

Roxi Baker

I placed his food and water on the sidewalk and, week by week, moved it closer to the entrance of the enclosed playground area. The enclosure had two gates—one stayed closed, one stayed open. By May, his food and water were inside the enclosure. By then, I was feeding him morning and evening to speed up the process.

By the first of June, his bowls were at the back of the fenced area.

One morning, the daycare manager and her daughter arrived early. Her daughter spotted Xico at the back of the enclosure and said, “Mom, look.” They quietly closed the gate and called me.

It was the best call I could have ever dreamed of. I’m crying just typing this, remembering that same excitement.

I entered the enclosure as calm as I could. He was standing at the back. As I approached him, it was as if he knew. He didn’t run. He didn’t fight. He simply seemed to say, “Okay. You got me.”

He allowed me to leash him and walk him to my car without any struggle.

I took him straight to my husband’s workplace to show him that Xico was finally ours. We were so incredibly happy.

It did take Xico time to adjust. For a long while, he wanted to be in my arms or in my lap. But if you saw him now, you wouldn’t believe he was the same dog.

He is absolutely a mama’s boy. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.

He will be 12 this year.

Story submitted by Roxi Baker

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