Azalea - Reunited 1/23/25

For over three months, Azalea wandered alone, a young hound mix abandoned when her family moved away. Left to survive in the woods surrounding an apartment complex, she faced hunger, loneliness, and bitter cold, with no guidance, no love, and no safety net.

She was just a puppy. She should have been learning, growing, playing. Instead, she spent her most vulnerable months navigating a world that had already failed her.

A Familiar Search with an Unexpected Save

Azalea wasn’t the original dog we were searching for. Ellie Mae, a lost dog still missing, had led us to her.

Ellie’s family had been tirelessly searching for months, chasing every lead, every sighting—only to find time and time again that it wasn’t her. But through their search, they saved more dogs than they ever imagined. Azalea was one of them.

After an unsuccessful box trap attempt, Ellie’s family reached out to Anakin’s Trails for help.

We knew we had to move fast. Winter weather was closing in, and this girl had already survived below-freezing temperatures, snow, and weeks of scrounging for scraps.

On Tuesday, we made the drive out to set the trap and prepare for the cold ahead. The sun was setting, and as we worked, tiny flurries began to fall.

Azalea was there. She watched from a distance, her nose in the air, her body tense with hesitation. She wasn’t quite hungry enough yet, but she was interested.

Then, something unexpected happened.

As the snow came down harder, she frolicked through the field—bounding, playing, spinning in circles like a pup experiencing her first snowfall.

It was beautiful. And heartbreaking.

She longed for companionship. She longed for human touch. But she still didn’t trust enough to let anyone in.

A Desperate Night & A Perfectly Timed Capture

That night, the temperature plummeted into the teens. Even wildlife wasn’t venturing out in the bitter cold. But Azalea? She was still searching for food.

She was seen hunting mice in a nearby field. She was starving.

It was time.

Everyone in the area had stopped feeding her, giving her only one reliable food source—the trap.

And early the next morning, she finally gave in.

Her sweet but cautious face appeared on camera. She hesitated. She backed out. But hunger won.

For the last time, she stepped inside the trap. The door closed behind her. Her life of uncertainty was over.

No More Cold Nights, No More Searching for a Friend

Azalea will never have to survive alone again.

No more scavenging dumpsters. No more searching for warmth in the freezing air. No more playing in the snow with no one to play back.

Now, she has a sunroom of her own and a family of furry friends to keep her company. 🐾

And while Ellie Mae is still out there waiting to be found, her family hasn’t stopped searching.

Because every search—no matter the outcome—has the power to save another life.