Boy Rescues Caged Puppy in Abandoned House, Next Day Homeless Man Appears on His Doorstep — Story of the Day

A boy braved an abandoned shack and rescued a caged puppy not knowing a homeless man would come knocking on his door the next day.

10-year-old friends Ryan and Ralph often hung out with the others in their gang during weekends playing soccer or binge-watching.

"That was an awesome movie!" Ralph told his buddy. "Our next movie break will be in my house, deal?"

On a Saturday evening, they were chatting their way home when Ryan heard a strange sound coming from an abandoned shack. "Shh! I just heard something. Wait...did you hear that? I think it's coming from there," said Ryan, pointing toward the old building...

"Wait, what are you doing? It's late, and that place is kinda spooky!" voiced Ralph, terrified and impatient to flee the spot.

Ryan thought the man had knocked for alms. But something seemed off, mainly after he noticed the man constantly looking inside his house.

"No, hold on. I'll be back. I want to know what's going on in there," said Ryan, approaching the house.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Ralph, it's a puppy!" exclaimed Ryan as he moved closer and found a poor little puppy caged in a dark corner.

"Aww, you poor thing...." he said, freeing the little one. "Oh my, you look hurt...You need to come with me."

Ryan loved animals and dreamed of becoming a vet one day. He didn't have the heart to leave the poor animal so he took him home.

"Hey, what a cute dog! But what are you gonna do with him? What if his owner comes looking for him?" Ralph questioned and followed Ryan home.

"Please pray the owner doesn't come near me, or I'll break his face for being such a heartless monster," fumed Ryan.

That evening, the boy took the pup to the vet to be treated. The puppy was given different vaccination shots and kept under observation for some time.

"Mr. Williams, the pup is fine, but he has suffered a lot of internal injuries. He has a broken rib, and I don't think giving him away to a shelter is a good idea for now," the doctor told Ryan's dad, Jake.

The boy pitied the pup and wondered who could have hurt him. He convinced his dad to take the pup home and keep him.

"But what if the owner comes looking for him, son?" said Jake. "We can keep him, only if nobody shows up to take him."

They drove the pup home and freed him inside. He was exhausted and wandered around the house, hiding behind the couch or the table.

"Hey, little one! Don't be scared...welcome home!" Ryan exclaimed cheerfully, putting the pup in a makeshift pet bed. "What shall I call you? Mmmmm...Max?!"

Ryan took utmost care of Max for the rest of the night. He was happy to see the dog recover slowly and run about. He was also touched by Max's reaction to seeing food because it felt like he hadn't eaten well for a long time.

Although Ryan was pleased with his little rescue mission, he was furious with Max's owner.

"If I meet you, whoever you are, I swear I'll...."

The next day, Ryan's fury took a different dimension when he heard a loud knock on the door and saw a homeless man with a dog toy on his doorstep.

"Yes, how may I help you?" he asked the man. "Dad, do you have some change?"

At first sight, Ryan thought the man had knocked for alms. But something seemed off, mainly after he noticed the man constantly looking inside his house.

"I don't want money. I wanted to give this to you," said the man, taking out a puppy chew toy. "The pup would love to play with this."

At this point, Ryan surmised the man could be Max's owner, who abused and mistreated him. He flushed red with fury and yelled at him.

"How dare you treat a poor pup like that? How can you be so heartless? Monsters like you do not deserve to have a pet!" he shouted.

The man's eyes beamed with tears.

"Son, listen...I came here to give this toy to the dog. I prayed he would find a good, loving home, and I'm glad he did."

"Find a good home? What do you mean?" retorted Ryan.

"He's not my dog. I found him hurt and unconscious in the woods a week ago," the man confessed. "I put him in a cage because I was scared he would escape and get into more trouble with bigger stray dogs. I did not leave him in the shelter because I wanted him to find a good home and not land with people who wouldn't love him."

Ryan cooled down, but his speculations didn't cease. "How did you find out Max lives here?" he questioned.

"I saw you free the pup and take him home. I followed you and thought to come here today with a nice toy for Max. I bought it with the money I had left."

Intrigued by the homeless man's compassion, Ryan wanted to know more about him.

"You look quite young. Why are you homeless? And what's your name?" he asked the man, who introduced himself as Nick.

Nick recalled an unfortunate incident that toppled his life overnight.

"My wife kicked me out after I got my late dad's inheritance. I couldn't fight back because her brother is a good lawyer, and they took everything from me. I had borrowed some money from him, and they took my inheritance as payment for the loan. I could do nothing and moved out."

After learning of Nick's story, Ryan decided to help him. He talked to his dad, and after deep thought, Jake hired Nick as a guard in his warehouse.

Ryan's compassion helped two innocent lives get what they truly deserved. While Max found a loving home, Nick got a good job and was no longer homeless anymore.

It had been seven months since the incident. Max recovered completely and grew into an adorable dog. And whenever he sniffed Nick around, he would wag his tail and jump on him as a gesture of gratitude for helping him find a loving home!

What can we learn from this story?

• The good you do today will fetch a reward tomorrow. When Nick found an injured dog in the woods, he did not ignore him. He took the pup to safety and cared for him until he found a loving home. Ultimately, Nick's compassion and good deed earned him a job that kept him off the streets.
• Do not turn your back on someone who may need your help. When Ryan saw the pup caged in the abandoned shack, he did not leave him there. Instead, he treated him and nursed him at home. The dog, whose life could have ended tragically, survived and led a joyful life with his loving family.

A poor boy's father agreed to keep a stray dog as long as his son could make a doghouse. The boy looked for wood in the forest nearby and discovered an old abandoned doghouse. His puppy sniffed his way inside and returned with a letter with an unbelievable message. Click here to read the full story.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.