Kayla Sargeant was going about her day with the front door open, letting in a cool breeze when something completely unexpected happened. She had only stepped away for a moment, but when she turned back around, there was a new presence in the house — an old dog.
“It was such a shock,” Sargeant shared. There was this scruffy, senior dog standing right in the middle of her house, with no collar and entirely covered in dirt.
The dog, a senior pit bull mix, seemed more interested in affection than anything else. He eagerly leaned in for pets from anyone who would give them, his tail wagging despite his rough appearance.
Sargeant shares her home with four other roommates, all of whom instantly took to the friendly dog. Unsure of what to do, they led him out into the yard while they tried to figure out where he had come from.
But then, just as quickly as he had appeared, the dog was gone.
“Within minutes, he disappeared,” Sargeant explained.
“We had no idea where he went. We assumed he must’ve been a neighbor’s dog, but before we knew it, he came back. This became a regular occurrence — he’d show up, we’d give him water [and] some food, some pets — and eventually when he was comfortable enough with us, we put a leash on him and walked him to our local vet to check for a microchip.”
Soon after, the dog reappeared at their door as if he knew this was the place to be. He continued returning over the next few days, with the roommates offering him food, water, and plenty of pets.
Eventually, the roommates decided to put a leash on the dog and take him to the local vet to see if he was microchipped.
Sure enough, the vet discovered a microchip, but the situation was bittersweet. While the dog did have a family, they were unable to care for him any longer due to personal circumstances.
For Sargeant and her roommates, that was all the information they needed to make a life-changing decision.
“We all have been taking care of him together,” Sargeant said. “He mainly stays in the downstairs suite with three of us, but all of us just adore him.”
The senior pittie now has five loving roommates who dote on him endlessly. He spends most of his time in the downstairs suite with three of the roommates, but everyone in the house is smitten with him.
Despite his past, the dog has blossomed in their care and is now a cherished part of their household.
The dog’s original name was “Fatty.” Still, his new family affectionately refers to him as “House Hippo,” “Old Man,” or “Stinky Boy.” What began as a random visit to their house turned into the senior dog finding a family who loved him more than he could have ever imagined.
“He’s thriving now,” Sargeant said. “He’s clean, loved, happy, and well-fed. We’re happy to take care of him for as long as he needs.”
In a stroke of luck, two of the roommates even work in veterinary care, making it easy for them to ensure the senior dog gets the medical attention and love he needs. They’ve stayed in touch with his original family, and everyone involved is just glad that the old dog has found a safe, loving place to live out his golden years.
As Sargeant and her roommates have learned, sometimes all it takes is a community of caring people to change an animal’s life. And as long as their beloved “House Hippo” is surrounded by love, that’s what truly counts.