‘She’s our early Christmas gift’: Dog abandoned in California orchard for weeks finds love in Spokane

A tiny pup, Liberty snuggles her 12.5-pound frame against Theresa Fall like it’s a spot meant just for her.

Tracing how they met, their closeness fits. The Otis Orchards resident first saw Liberty in an online post about how the dog was left abandoned in a California almond orchard for about a month until her rescue.

“Oh that poor dog; I hope she gets a good home,” Fall said to herself at the time.

She was watching an Oct. 28 Facebook live feed for Wings of Rescue, as its volunteers loaded animals into an airplane. The nonprofit does flight transports for at-risk dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters to facilities and animal rescue groups that have room for pet adoptions.

At 2 years old, Liberty held a special seat on that featured flight, which was heading to Spokane.

“The reason why they were showing her on the live feed was she was the 75,000th dog that Wings of Rescue was transporting,” Fall said. “Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have seen her.”

Initially, Fall was unsure if she and her husband Ed were ready for another dog. They had Gus, a small mixed-breed dog adopted in 2018.

For more than 20 years, the couple typically had two rescue dogs. After a move here in 2019 from Salt Lake City, their beloved border collie, Misty, died in January 2021. Fall was still getting over that loss.

But her thoughts kept drifting to Liberty, a dog that during those weeks in the orchard had stayed with a piece of cardboard left by whoever dropped her.

More than 900 miles away, Sharon Lohman is the one who rescued Liberty on Oct. 22 near Winton, California. She is the founder of New Beginnings for Merced County Animals.

Lohman said a woman who lives near the orchard told the nonprofit that she’d seen the dog there for nearly a month. Although Liberty wouldn’t let anyone get close, the woman and others had left the dog a little food and water.

The pup still was “so hungry,” said Lohman, who set up a kennel “trap” with food. The wire cage’s door automatically closed after Liberty entered and stepped on a plate.

“We know someone dropped her, because when dogs are lost, they wander,” she said. “When people dump dogs, they just sit there and wait, because they’re so loyal. She stayed right there, where somebody had obviously put her out.”

Agricultural spaces abound in Merced County, so agencies deal often with pet dumping reports, she said. Coyotes roam near the orchard where Liberty was found.

“Because she’s so tiny, I’m amazed she lived,” Lohman said. Liberty went to a veterinarian after her rescue for a medical grooming, paid for by New Beginnings. “They are sedated, because it’s so stressful for them already. She had foxtails in her ears and feet, and just general matting.”

Her rescue was next to a road called Liberty, so Lohman gave her that name as fitting for the canine’s future freedom through adoption.

Meanwhile, Fall had decided to pray for Liberty, but there was something about the dog that she couldn’t shake.

Gus looks a bit like Liberty, although he’s a bit bigger. Fall had intended only to foster him, when at 9 months old, he arrived with a dirty, matted coat more like “dreadlocks,” she said. In photos after her rescue, Liberty’s grimy coat reminded her of Gus’ first appearance.

Although Gus looked a mess at first, Fall decided to love on him.

“He’s a snuggler,” she said. “He just melted my heart after about four days.”

Liberty was doing the same. Fall checked with Wings of Rescue about her status the next day but hesitated about the long drive to SpokAnimal, just to check on her. Then, her husband asked about an errand after his physical therapy that Wednesday, just two days after the live feed.

The extra stop was two blocks from SpokAnimal, and Fall decided to tell him about Liberty.

That’s how Fall ended up at SpokAnimal that day, Oct. 30, to meet Liberty, and the staff was surprised she already knew about the dog.

“I told them, ‘Yeah, I saw the post,’ and I started crying,” she said. “ ‘This poor dog has just touched my heart. I can’t get her out of my mind, and I’m just so broken over her condition.’ They started crying.”

When an attendant brought Liberty out, Fall let the dog sniff the back of her hand, “and she bit me.” But Fall wasn’t deterred. The dog was scared. She asked to take Liberty outside to sit idle, talking gently to her. Eventually, Ed walked up with Gus, and the two dogs hit it off.

Liberty began to relax and snuggled in her arms.

“I’m like, this is our dog,” Fall said.

She filled out the adoption paperwork, and because Liberty had to stay a night after a surgery to get spayed, Fall brought her home on Halloween.

Dori Peck, SpokAnimal executive director, said the shelter has worked with Wings of Rescue for 10 years. Its flights arrive in Spokane once a week or every other week, each with between 30 and 50 dogs and 40 to 60 cats.

The shelter only takes canines 30 pounds or less. Those rescued pets – small dogs, puppies and cats – typically get adopted quickly, Peck said. Wings of Rescue’s latest flight this month to Spokane landed Friday.

When Liberty arrived, she was obviously scared, Peck said, but she added that the Falls gave her “a perfect home.”

“Adult dogs when they come out of animal control, often we don’t know their history, so people need to be willing to work with them,” Peck said. “They are the perfect adopters, because they’re willing to take the time. Liberty came around pretty quickly, because she’s so sweet.”

Liberty is thought to be primarily a poodle, with perhaps some schnauzer and Shih Tzu. Her new spay certificate lists her distinction of being dog No. 75,000.

Fall said Gus has proven a steady and mellow presence to welcome Liberty. He’s content to let the new pup get equal lap time. Liberty even made friends with the cat, Daisy.

Liberty arrived well-trained and got past her initial nervousness, but she remains wary of strange men, perhaps because of prior abuse, Fall said.

Ed took his time to approach her gently, and he gained her acceptance. Liberty now sleeps next to him. She has proven to be a good walking and hiking companion.

“The day I adopted her, I went out and bought her a pink bed, pink collar, pink leash,” Fall said. “The neighbor got her a pink coat. She’s our little pink girl.”

Their new pet also has a heart-shaped metal tag on her collar, carved with her name, Liberty.

“She’s our early Christmas gift,” Fall added.

“Look how happy she is. She’s very spoiled, very much loved.”