This Valentine’s Day, love looked like muddy paws, wagging tails, and a family finally safe. A concerned resident in Pelzer, South Carolina reached out about a mama dog and her second litter of puppies living behind her home. The mama, now known as Coco, had been roaming the neighborhood for nearly two years after the man she once lived with passed away. She survived by going house to house, searching for food and kindness. Through collaboration with PAWS of Anderson and thei

Smokey’s story began with love, good intentions, and a family who wanted more for him than they could currently provide. With new babies, demanding jobs, mounting vet bills, and little time for training, Smokey’s owners knew their energetic Aussie wasn’t living the life he deserved. They hoped to give him a future where he could run, play, and work the way Australian Shepherds are meant to. A meet-and-greet was arranged with a potential new family — a chance at a better life.

What started as a quick trip to Petco for a grooming appointment quickly turned into every pet parent’s nightmare. Boomer slipped away from a family member and took off running. People tried to chase him on foot and in cars, but that only scared him more. Boomer ran into a tight-knit Simpsonville neighborhood, and from that moment on, the community became a huge part of his journey home. Simpsonville has a long history of helping lost dogs. When Anakin once ran through this t

When a dog goes missing, the fear can feel overwhelming. Add in the fact that the dog was lost while under professional care, and that fear can quickly turn into anger too. That’s exactly what happened to Mack and his family. Mack escaped from a boarding facility, and his owner, Melinda, reached out to Anakin’s Trails for help. From the very first call, we worked together to create a plan to bring Mack home. Melinda shared photos of Mack on social media and began receiving a

Last weekend’s ice, snow, and sleet created dangerous conditions not only for people, but for countless stray dogs and cats trying to survive outside. Even after the storm passed, many animals were still wandering without food, water, or shelter. One concerned family reached out to Anakin’s Trails asking for help with a stray dog who had been roaming their very active neighborhood. Neighbors had been feeding him and trying to safely capture him, but he wouldn’t allow anyone t

Just hours before a major ice storm was expected to hit our area, Anakin’s Trails was able to bring a stray dog to safety — a beautiful doodle now known as Nala . Nala first appeared about three weeks earlier at a local school in Easley. She was underweight, dirty, and clearly had been living on her own for some time. Parents and children noticed her coming around, and one parent made repeated efforts to earn her trust. Despite many tries, Nala was too fearful to allow any hu

Word spread quickly when a blue heeler stray was spotted living at a mulch facility in Spartanburg, located near a busy highway. Many people were concerned about her safety, especially with traffic nearby and colder weather moving in. Kind locals brought food and water and tried to help her, but blue heelers are smart, fast, and cautious. It soon became clear that the only safe way to help her would be through trapping. Heather, a local volunteer with Carolina Loving Hound, r

Tofu is home—and his safe return happened because of one simple but powerful tool: FLYERS . Many people believe the best way to find a lost dog is through social media posts, neighborhood apps, or going door to door. While those can help, the most effective way to get real sightings is still printed flyers placed in the right locations. Flyers on stop sign poles (without covering the sign), intersection poles, neighborhood entrances, and major roadways reach people who are al

Boxers have a way of stealing hearts. Their soft faces, squishy noses, and big expressive eyes make them hard to resist. That’s why when a couple named Lupe and Craig saw a boxer listed on Craigslist, they felt compelled to save him. They named him Winston. On Christmas Eve, what should have been a joyful day quickly turned into a nightmare when Winston slipped out of his harness and ran. The couple contacted Anakin’s Trails for help, and an intake was completed right away. A

Some dogs struggle more than others when they find themselves lost and alone. Dogs that are used to living with people often don’t know how to survive on their own, and fear can take over quickly. That was the case for Bernard. Bernard, a doodle-type dog, had been seen running in the backwoods of Laurens County since November. At one point, there were reportedly three dogs dumped in the area. What happened to the other two is unknown, but Bernard was the one who managed to su

Stray dumping has long been a challenge in Laurens County, but thanks to teamwork and persistence, one small corner of that problem just got better. Tori and her puppies were living under a house after being dumped as very young pups. Two of the original puppies had grown up and given birth close together, leaving Tori caring for four babies in unsafe conditions. Once the situation was identified, Anakin’s Trails stepped in to help coordinate care and a plan. With help from c

Anakin’s Trails was contacted about a young pit mix who had been roaming near a busy road in Greenville. A kind couple, Jonathan and Caitlyn—regular volunteers with the Greenville Humane Society—had noticed her and spent weeks trying to help. They fed her consistently and tried to earn her trust, but she was too fearful to allow anyone close enough to help her safely. With traffic speeding past the area she roamed, it was only a matter of time before something tragic could ha

Last Sunday evening, temperatures dropped quickly into the low double digits. For people, it meant bundling up and staying inside. For stray dogs and cats, it meant facing bitter cold, wind, and real danger. Anakin’s Trails jumped into action to try to secure as many animals as possible before nightfall. One of those animals was a dog later named Jingles , seen wandering in Iva, South Carolina. That night, our team was already in the middle of another rescue when volunteer Me

Dogs often find comfort in numbers. Even the most unlikely group of dogs can form a bond when they are living on their own, depending on each other for companionship, warmth, and protection. Earlier this week, a small group of three stray dogs was spotted near Woodruff Road. The group included a large black Lab and two tiny dogs who weighed only about four to five pounds each. Sadly, the worst happened. The black Lab was struck by a vehicle sometime Sunday afternoon. With tha

This week in Anderson, South Carolina, twelve stray dogs were brought to safety in one incredible day. Anakin’s Trails was contacted by several concerned community members about a very pregnant pit mix wandering along Highway 29. Everyone feared she would give birth outside in the cold, with no shelter and no help. Time was critical. Volunteers headed out with a trap, hoping to locate her before the puppies arrived. When they learned she had already given birth, the urgency o

For eight long months, a gentle dog now known as Titan lived at a gas station. He slept outside, wandered the parking lot looking for food, and relied on the kindness of strangers to survive. Many people stopped to feed him, speak to him, and show him love. Even without a home, Titan clearly touched a lot of hearts. Earlier this week, Anakin’s Trails received a call asking for help. Several team members went to check on Titan and were immediately concerned. He looked tired, s

Sometimes, the animals we are asked to help surprise us—and Lucky certainly did. Anakin’s Trails was originally contacted about a stray dog that had been dumped in Townville. A feeding station was set up, and plans were underway to begin trapping. Then something unexpected appeared on camera: a black-and-white animal with a big snout cleaning out the dog food bowls. It wasn’t a dog at all. It was a pig. At first, everyone assumed Lucky must be someone’s pet who had wandered o

Before the holidays, Anakin’s Trails began receiving many urgent requests for help. One of those calls involved an older Chow mix named Bessie who had come from a large hoarding situation. Bessie had already been through a lot. She was scared, newly spayed, and dealing with a painful eye condition called entropion. After escaping from a fenced area, she spent four days roaming near abandoned buildings in Spartanburg County. Because of her age and medical needs, her situation

Anakin’s Trails was contacted about a dog named Winston who had gotten away from his pet sitter and gone missing. A longtime supporter of our organization helped connect the owner with our team so we could step in and assist. By the time we spoke with Winston’s owner, he had already been missing for five days. The owner had been searching the neighborhood and learned that someone had recently seen Winston in a nearby yard. Food was placed in the backyard where Winston had be

August usually brings thoughts of the end of summer, kids returning to school, and plans for the upcoming holidays. For one family, August brought something far more painful—the sudden loss of their beloved dog, Duke. Duke slipped away from home and disappeared. His owner, Adrianna, immediately began searching. She walked the area, posted on social media, hung flyers, and never stopped hoping. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Not a single confirmed sighting c