...
By Lydia Patrick
Life & Trends Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The internet wasn’t prepared for what happened when a dog was left in the care of a dog-sitter.
Grant Huffman, 29, from the Detroit area in Michigan, shared his story on Reddit’s dog pictures subreddit under the username u/Disastrous_Conflict3, where it quickly gained over 19,000 upvotes.
Huffman explained to Newsweek: “The owner from the very beginning seemed very desperate to get rid of the dog, whether that was for the dog’s sake or hers I’m not sure.
Read More on Pets
"At first I was mad because I felt I had been cheated and I had to stop making money from Rover sitting because Mocha wasn’t friendly with other dogs at first. But then, of course, I came to love Mocha. At first she was very fearful, and acted aggressively when she felt threatened. It took a couple of solid weeks for her to get used to me and my dad. Today, she’s a totally different dog. She loves other dogs and people.”
In his original post, Huffman shared that he had been regularly dog-sitting Mocha, a pit bull, and was consistently paid until her owner suddenly stopped responding to his texts and calls. That’s when he realized Mocha’s owner had no intention of returning. He reached out constantly for three months and did not hear a thing.
Mocha, who was once a traumatized and fearful dog, has now been with Huffman for three years. She was initially aggressive and protective due to her abandonment, but today she’s described as obedient, affectionate, and loving—though still slightly guarded at times. “Her giant heart and loving personality far outweigh her occasional neurosis,” Huffman wrote. “I’m proud of my girl. She wasn’t dealt the best cards in life but I’m glad she found her way to me.”
Reddit users were moved by the transformation and quick to praise Huffman’s dedication.
“I can't say much nice about someone who abandons a dog but at least this client chose a great new owner for pretty Mocha,” wrote one user.
“Lucky for you, and thankfully for her, she had such a great sitter...which is why she did that. Imagine if you wouldn’t have been the sitter, what she would have done,” added another.
...
Others offered advice, such as, “If chipped, then contact the company to change info over to your name. You don’t want her coming back at some point to reclaim.”
Some speculated about the owner’s motives: “Maybe it was intentionally planned this way by her. Unfortunately life happens and people have to make the hard decisions. No different than dogs being left at vet offices.”
Another summed up the sentiment of the thread simply: “That’s one handsome pup though.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines