Ziggy turned out to be Lola — and she turned out to be everything we needed

We went to the shelter looking for a male dog — a friend for our old girl back home. Then came “Ziggy,” a dirty, matted, smelly fluffball with eyes that stopped us. Minutes later, we learned “he” was a “she.” It didn’t matter. We named her Lola, after the 1960s song, and brought her home. What we didn’t know then… was that she’d bring our hearts back to life.

After her first bath and grooming, Lola looked like an entirely new dog. Beneath all that grime was a dainty little redhead, soft and sweet. But looks can be deceiving — and just 48 hours later, Lola collapsed.

She stopped eating. Grew limp. Her eyes dulled. The vet said it was likely from the trauma and starvation she’d experienced living on the streets. Her digestive system was failing, her body was shutting down.

At night, I’d wrap her inside my robe and fall asleep holding her against my chest. Every morning, I woke up terrified she wouldn’t be breathing. One day, my husband canceled all his plans, sat on the couch, and held her in his lap for hours. “If she goes,” he whispered, “she goes knowing she was finally loved.”

But then… something changed.

One evening, she finally slept deeply — no restlessness, no whimpers. And the next morning? She stood up on her own. Bright eyes. Perky ears. Tail wagging.

That was her turning point.

From there, Lola slowly began to eat. Then explore. Then play. And soon, she did something we never saw coming — she became the boss.

Our tiny little redhead quickly established herself as queen of the pack. She called the shots, claimed the bed, and gave side-eyes to anyone who dared ignore her commands. Our other dogs obeyed. So did we.

Now, four years later, Lola is our everything.

She travels with us. She hikes with us. She naps on our laps and sleeps curled up at our feet — or, when she wants, right on our pillows. She’s not just our dog. She’s our daily reminder that healing is possible.

We thought we were going to rescue a dog.
Turns out, she rescued us.