Trust is something you don’t gain easily, but you can lose it in the blink of an eye.

It’s not simple for betrayed dogs to trust a human being again.

Put yourself in their paws. Would you trust someone who hurt you so many times?

Exactly.

It’s a long way to regain trust and prove to dogs that not every human is a bad human.

The hero of today’s story needed more than a few days to have his faith restored in humans. It took him seven months to allow a human being to come close and pet him… seven long months!

But, this brave man didn’t give up on the lost stray. He came back every day, proving to the dog, little by little, that there’s still hope in humanity.

The Seven Long Months

Esteban Riviera, a Californian known for his good deeds, has done it again. But, this time, his rescue mission was bigger than ever. This time, he didn’t save just one dog.

Esteban worked long hours for almost a year to save a pack of dogs stranded in the Southern California desert.

When he first arrived in the desert, Esteban was welcomed by a pack of stray dogs. They lived in horrific conditions, with makeshift food and water bowls. It was clear to him that these dogs were lacking in everything, especially in their basic necessities.

It was one of the hottest summer days, boiling hot outside, when Esteban realized he had to do something for these dogs immediately.

So, he created a plan: he bought water troughs, built feeding stations, and promised himself to come and check up on the dogs every other day.

Little by little, the dogs started to get to know Esteban. They saw how good his intentions were, but some of them still stayed reserved, just in case someone played them out again.

One of the dogs, a sweet girl he named Persephone, seemed to always know when Esteban would show up. She was his welcome waggon, and she loved following his truck from the gate up to the place where the other dogs rested.

But, Persephone was too skittish to come near. She showed how much she loved having Esteban there from afar.

Months passed by quickly, and Persephone started following the other dogs’ example. She came forward, allowing herself to be in Esteban’s presence for more than a few seconds.

What really blew Esteban’s mind was when Persephone started eating treats from his hand. 

It was such a major breakthrough!

Still, Persephone was too scared to let Esteban pet her. It could clearly be seen in her eyes that she wanted it, but was feeling too scared to allow herself such luxury.

And, then, one day, a miracle happened.

Persephone clenched her teeth and stepped forward, allowing Esteban to pet her for the very first time. It was such a heartwarming moment for both the dog and her rescuer.

“Oh my God, this is amazing! I wanna cry.”, said Esteban while petting Persephone.

It took seven months for Persephone to decide if Esteban was okay and to come close to her… seven long months! That’s how long it took for this poor, desert stray dog to regain her trust.

From that moment, it was clear that Persephone created a special bond with her new hooman. One day, she even came to Esteban, lied down, and showed her belly, asking for cuddles.

The next step was even rougher than getting these dogs to like and trust Esteban. He had to find them foster families ASAP.

Still, finding a foster for a big dog, especially one that has been in a desert for years, sounded like mission impawssible.

One day, Esteban came with some help from the local shelter and successfully caught Persephone and two other dogs. They were thrilled to leave that horrible place, especially when they found out they were going to cozy homes.

Persephone came with Esteban, proving she was a gentle lap dog deep down under that stray-dog attitude. Her true personality blossomed and Esteban saw how wonderful this dog was.

During the next few days, a total of seven dogs were rescued. Five more were waiting out in the desert, fighting their inner demons and deciding whether they should trust the humans.

Luckily, the other desert pack didn’t wait too long for their rescue. Although they were too confused with what was going on, as well as their new surroundings, the rest of the gang adapted quickly into their new shelter life. Food was plentiful, there was shelter over their heads, and there was enough water.

What was there not to like?

Eventually, these once-sad desert dogs got new names and new homes, including Persephone.

Well, she stayed Princess Persephone, and today, five years later, Persephone is enjoying life to the fullest.

@amos_and_co Former Desert Dog Persephone living her best life. she’s come a LONG way. #RescueDog #DogInNeed #DogRescue #Rescue #ForYouPage #RescueDogsOfTikTok #FYP #RescueDogs ♬ original sound

I don’t see many people like Esteban. Not everyone would devote so many months trying to rescue some dogs stranded in the desert. It takes great courage. It takes dedication. Most importantly, it takes a lot of love for animals to do such a thing.