When staff at a Michigan shelter received word that two dogs had been left behind in a remote area, they sprang into action.
They packed their gear, assembled a small rescue team, and headed out to the site. Since operations like this were part of their regular work, they expected the rescue to go smoothly.
They didn’t anticipate that the mission would stretch out over several exhausting days.
One Pup Found, One Still Missing
Once the team located the dogs, they were able to secure Nutmeg, the female, with relative ease.
Her brother, Barney, proved far more elusive.
For five long days, the rescuers tried every strategy they could think of. They tracked his movements, set traps, and reviewed footage from neighborhood cameras.
But Barney managed to evade capture again and again.
Meanwhile, Nutmeg was safe at the shelter, but emotionally devastated. She barely moved, her head low, and her body tense with fear.
“She laid in the corner of her kennel, not moving, or barely picking her head up. Her whole body flinched when you touched her, and she would pee or poop if you had to handle her—it was heartbreaking,” Jordan Covington from The KG Foundation said in an interview.
Seeing Nutmeg’s distress only strengthened the team’s resolve to reunite her with her brother.
Eventually, their persistence paid off.
A Reunion That Changed Everything
Barney had wandered a surprising distance, but eventually made his way back near the shelter. Recognizing the opportunity, the team set another trap, and this time, it worked.
Barney was finally brought inside to see Nutmeg again.
At first, Nutmeg didn’t recognize him. She was frightened, unsure of what was happening.
But then something shifted.
“When she first saw Barney again, she was scared and pooped everywhere being carried into a new room. She growled at first, but as soon as she realized it was ‘him,’ she turned into a different dog. She was walking around him, licking him, wagging her tail, and even grabbed a bag of treats off the table. It was the first time any of us had ever seen her do ‘real dog things,” said Covington.
Barney was diagnosed with heartworm and will need significant treatment before he’s fully recovered.
Nutmeg, still shaken by her experience, remained cautious and hesitant around people.
Despite these challenges, the shelter team is committed to giving both dogs a chance at a better life.
“To be transparent with the state of the world and the crisis that animal welfare is in, we know placing them won’t be easy. But it will be worth it. The love they have to give is so unconditional and pure,” he explained.
For now, the siblings are available for foster or foster-to-adopt homes. They’ll need time, patience, and gentle care to adjust to the life they deserve.
With the right support, there’s no doubt they’ll grow into the loving companions they were always meant to be.
Anyone interested in helping Nutmeg and Barney begin their next chapter can contact KG Foundation for more details.
