Couple Driving On A Pennsylvanian Dirt-road Encounters A Creature That Leaves Them Dumbfounded

 Travelling could be a lot more fun with certain moments of surprise, and adventures that spring out of the blue. But what if an adventure leads to something that could change the lives of the people? What if a normal journey could begin a new journey altogether? Such an incident happened to a couple when they were passing through a dirt-road in Pennsylvania, and experienced something unanticipated that had the potential to change their life forever.

The Last Memorial Day

It was the Last Memorial day, the sun was at its peak. Danielle and Bobby had a long week and didn’t have a break from their hectic lives in a while. It has been 4 years since they had been together but no matter how much they worked, they always managed to make out time for each other as well as their kids and pets.

Ready For Help

Danielle Finley and Bobby Williams had one thing in common if nothing else, that they were animal lovers. They loved being around animals and had a couple of dogs in their home too. Taking care of these pooches and kids had become their ultimate goal of life until that day which turned their lives upside down.

Animal Lovers

Their love for animals was eternal. Having 3 pets at home and actively participating in animal rescue projects in and around the town, their love for animals had only multiplied over the years. They even encouraged their kids to actively engage in the same. And often used to take them along while visiting the stray houses in the town.

A Perfect Relationship

No matter how many people envy their relationship, only both of them knew that it’s always easy to move in but hard to manage together afterward. This was indeed a hard decision because they had a daughter to take care of too but due to the immense support shown by Bobby, the decision became a little easier.

Nothing’s Easy

A companion is necessary in today’s world, despite having money at the disposal, the need for a companion is not replaceable. You need somebody to share your happiness and a shoulder to cry on as well. Finding a companion is not hard, but keeping and managing with the same is not less than solving any complex puzzle.

Danielle And Bobby

And this fact was undoubtedly clear inside the heads of the couple so they used to plan their trips more often in order to maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. No matter what, they spent some quality time with their kids and pets and tried to catch up on what was going on in everyone’s life.

A Sunny Day

It was a normal day for Danielle and Bobby but they might not have thought that such a day would bring an unforeseen adventure into their lives and would have the potential to change their lives.

That Day

Everything had been planned for that day in advance. Danielle, Bobby, kids, and pets, all were excited about the trip, after all, being together is what they always wanted. Danielle had already packed lunch and snacks as well. Though the weather was sunny, the heat was bearable.

The Journey

They hit the road as soon as the dawn broke. With patriotic songs playing in the background, the mother was telling the kids stories of heroes who had sacrificed their lives in order to protect the country from the enemies.

The Visit

The couple along with the kids and pets visited the graves to pay tribute to the martyred soldiers. They were told about the story of their martyrdom. The kids wandered for a while around the graveyard scrutinizing things nearby and the pets followed them as well.

Exhausting Day

After hours of traveling and going places, at noon finally they headed for home. All were dead tired and needed rest from the hectic journey. They visited the graveyards every year without a fail. But was it just another Memorial day of that year or something more memorable was waiting for them on their way back home?

Back To Home

It was almost noon when they were passing through rural Pennsylvania on their way back home. Danielle was singing some old songs with her daughter and even the dogs were trying to match the rhythm with their bark making it a happy affair altogether.

Shrubbery Roads Ahead

Even though the weather was extremely hot outside, their energy was at the highest peak and even the sun couldn’t drain it out with its intense heat. The kids jumped whenever they sighted an animal and dogs barked out of fear and astonishment.

Habitat

The place they were driving on was supposed to be the habitat of certain terrestrial animals so they tried to go as slow as a snail to avoid bumping into them. Being animal lovers themselves, they both were concerned about the same, not knowing that in this rejuvenating trip they will meet someone who will change their lives forever in years to come.

A Bumpy Ride

The road was bumpy and there was no one on that deserted road except some animals that were roaming here and there. Squirrels screeched as the car breached their peace while passing. But was this revolt just against the car or was someone else hiding in the bushes?

A Sudden Break

 Suddenly, Bobby stopped the car as he saw some animal coming in front of the car out of the blue. They waited for the animal to pass by as they expected, but it stood still in the middle and when the dust cleared off they were startled when they had a clear view of what stood in front of them.

The Moment Of Panic

For once the couple didn’t blink and their mouth was wide open as they tried to figure out what they actually saw. It was the scream from the back of the car of their kids that made them regain their senses and they tried to calm the kids down before reacting to the situation.

 The Creature

The creature that stood in front of them was indeed horrifying to look at if not in reality. It was short in height but had uneven patches of hair here and there. Its eyes were coal-black and the pupils were dilated. The couple saw each other in amazement. What was that exotic little creature that stood in front of them?

Bewildered

As the animal didn’t move aside they were making guesses as to what could be the animal that stood to block the way. It had a horrifying appearance due to the weird patches of hair on his body and they just had one name in their mind was it Hyena or the animal found in the folklore Chupacabra that stood beside them, they thought in bewilderment.

Astonished

When Bobby said the two names aloud, despite having the same thought Danielle discarded the possibility. The creature couldn’t be Hyena for sure she said facing bobby in denial though regardless of the similarities and appearance it was hard for her to digest that such a carnivore animal couldn’t be found here.

Stepping Out

Finally, when they were done scratching their heads for the answer they stepped down the car and the kids hid behind their seats as they were scared to look out and the dogs stared out of the window without blinking as the couple put their foot down on the dusty road.

A Closer Look

Though they had stepped out of the car, they were scared that the animal might attack out of defense. Instead, they were stunned when the animal started to approach them calmly. The eyes that seemed like a new moons night was filled with tears that were rolling down its face. Was it a lonely hyena crying because it has lost its way and got separated from its clan?

Hyena?

Hyenas are basically the carnivorous creature found predominantly in all habitats let it be grasslands, savannahs, woodlands, forest edges, sub desert. Though compared to wild dogs a lot they are found to be more like cats. There are basically 4 types of hyenas that could be spotted and these are brown, spotted, aardwolf and striped hyena which are bound to change according to their habitat.

Appearance

Generally spotted hyenas are the most widely found species which grows up to the height of 5.9 feet and weighs about 80 to 190lbs. Their coat is more often sandy or yellow or grey in color and so was the animal’s that stood in front of the couple yet Danielle was unable to agree that poor harmless animal was actually a carnivore. But if it wasn’t the predator than what was it?

Identity Revealed

When the couple had a closer look at the animal, they were astounded by the revelation that what they were supposing to be harmful carnivorous animal was actually a terrified Cairn terrier dog.

Unanticipated Appearance

As the couple looked down at the pooch he danced with joy around Danielle and they knew they had to take the pooch along with them. But the question was what was this little creature doing by itself or who had left it to its fate in that deserted place.

Feeding The Pooch

The pooch looked malnourished as well as famished too. So, Danielle rushed towards the back of the car and took some kibble and put it down, the dog snapped it from the ground. But was feeding the pooch enough? The pooch seemed to be affected by certain skin disease and they feared it to be mange.

Pathetic Condition

The pooch was not just malnourished but after looking at his condition it was quite evident that he was suffering from alopecia also that’s why he had uneven patches of hair all over his body. The couple was afraid to touch the animal in case the disease was contagious.

In Dilemma

They were in a constant discussion as to what should be done with the pooch. The one thing that they were sure of was that they couldn’t abandon the pooch on this deserted road to die alone but they too feared that dog might be suffering from certain contagious diseases.

Taking The Pooch Home

Keeping aside all that could go wrong, Danielle took the pooch in her hands and put it in the backseat of the car still fearing how the other dogs will react. To her astonishment, they readily accepted the pooch and the creature didn’t even bark at them.

Naming The Pooch

Bobby felt an instant connection with the pooch. As he patted on the pooch’s head, he wrapped himself in Bobby’s arms. Bobby named the pooch Phil. The look in its eyes was so affectionate that he didn’t want it to go but be there where they were going to sleep.

The Never-ending Night

When they reached home, the kids were excited about the pooch but they were made to stay away as the couple was unsure about the disease. The couple had many apprehensions on their mind as to what the other day will bring, they spent the night in fear.

The Next Morning

Finally, when the dawn broke, they knew it won’t be an easy day for either of them. They made an appointment at the earliest in the vet office. They took the pooch in the car and reached prior to the time. As they entered the vet’s office they were relieved to find the doctor.

The Vet’s Office

As the vet took the pooch inside, the couple had their hearts in their mouth. Every minute was looking like an hour. They didn’t want any of their assumptions to be true. But they couldn’t do anything else than wait until the vet came out.

Reports

They rushed to the doctor as they saw the vet coming. Undoubtedly, the poor pooch was suffering from a certain skin disease that it could have caught from the contaminated environment he was living in.

A Sigh Of Relief

But the good news was the pooch wasn’t suffering from the mange that they were fearing about. The doctor said it will recover from the disease partially if not fully. The uneven patches may even fill with the passage of time. But there might be chances that the growth of the hair will not be normal like the regular dogs.

Explanations

Finley explained that he had a “really severe skin condition from being out in the elements,”. The pooch too suffered from malnutrition due to the adverse conditions he was surviving in. But the question that still lingered on was- how did the pooch get there?

Uninhibited

According to the vet, the poor pooch had a home initially but then when his health problems became unbearable, the owner must have disowned it to fight against its fate alone. They tried everywhere to find the owner but didn’t succeed.

Finding A New Home

When they tried finding a new home for Phil, they knew it will be difficult because of its condition. Taking a closer look, both vet and the doc could make out that the poor pooch had been into an abusive house where he must have been kept in crates for so long and they didn’t want anything like that to happen again.

Adopting Phil

Being dog lovers themselves how could they let Phil go to another indifferent person who could again give him tragic trauma? So they decided if they can have three pets why not another one. Hence without any delay, they adopted Phil.

Recovery

Since the disease was acknowledged they knew Phil can’t be like other dogs because of the mistreatment he has gone through in the past but with medicines and proper diet his condition can be stabilized and the uneven patches can be filled to some extent.

Improvements

The vet started a new diet for Phil, his improvements could be observed within a short span of time. Finley said that he started “getting peach fuzz everywhere,” he regained hair at most of the uneven patches.

Missing Fur

The treatment has been going on still they know that the pooch won’t ever have an even patch of hair. Due to this, some people have this perception that Phil might be of a hairless breed which makes the pooch’s appearance a little funny though.

 Thankful Pooch 

The pooch has already been a part of the family since the day he arrived. Despite being an animal he understands what good the couple has done for him and gratitude can be seen in his eyes every single time he looks up to them.

Comfy Life

“Like he can’t believe that he’s got a comfy place to lie every day,” says Finley whenever Phil looks around he’s got that look in his eyes. And not just grateful he seems to be happy and excited to be with his new siblings too.

 The Favourite Sibling

Though Phil gets along with all his siblings, he shares a special bond with the Lily who is an old Boston terrier. The couple always finds them snuggling. “You can almost always find them squeezed up together,” Finley said. Phil himself is a cuddle bag and loves to be around the family members.

Hair Growth

As the weeks turned into months, Phil’s hair growth had become more evident and the hairless dog that they had rescued had fur all over his body if not evenly distributed. The couple has made their mind to get him groomed no matter how much they are mocked for this.

Pooch’s Instagram

What started as a rescue mission on Instagram has today made the little pooch famous. The couple used to post to enquire about Phil’s long lost owner soon turned the pooch into an internet sensation. People used to comment and ask about his improvement and how is he putting up now.

Phils’ Instagram Bio

This pooch is not just limited to have an Instagram account but has a bio too. Which reads “I’m Phil, I was an abandoned cairn terrier until my humans rescued me off a dirt road in upstate PA.” under the account name Dirtroad_phil because he was found on the dirt road.

The Lucky Pooch

Rural Pennsylvania has numerous puppy mills, where they keep the puppies in a deplorable condition with a lack of ventilation and awful food. The pooch had been supposedly adopted from there or the pooch might have run away itself. But it was the pooches’ sheer luck that he was found by the couple.

Happy Days

The little pooch has been through a lot, from being in the worst puppy mills and pathetic lifestyle with a lack of proper food and ventilation to being sent to an abusive indifferent owner to finally finding a comfortable home. But is every pooch that lucky?

Happily Ever After

Phil was one of the lucky pooches to get a comfy home and a caring family. Not every pooch gets lucky to be found by such people while roaming on deserted bumpy roads nor can the couple take every pooch in. Still, both Danielle and Bobby are trying their best to help such dogs. Whereas Phil is enjoying the time of his life and getting healthier and furry day by day.