The rain had fallen steadily throughout the long cold night and the puppy was cold and wet. He was so thin that his ribs could be counted from beneath his scrawny coat and his tummy growled in hunger. He had been left alone by his mother who had gone in search of food. He was growing restless and like all puppies found it difficult to stay still.
It felt so good to stretch his frozen legs as he moved around in the dark not knowing what direction to go. Unaware, he traipsed off towards the busy highway sniffing at anything that looked like it could be eaten. There were so many cars and trucks speeding by and whenever they flashed past the cold water sprayed up and wet him.
Out of one of the windows of the truck a paper bag hit the wet road and without thinking he stepped onto the Autobahn to explore. It smelt so good as he poked his nose into the bag and never realised he had stepped onto one of the busiest highways at peak hour. He never heard or noticed his mom calling out in terror from the other side of the busy road. “Get back, little one!” But it was too late. The car hooted and tried to swerve but skidded on the wet road and hit him as it raced by. The puppy was left unconscious. He lay there all wet and alone.
His mom barked and cried out and not thinking ran out onto the highway to reach him. A truck raced by and narrowly missed her but she got to her pup and began to nudge him. He was not moving, she nudged harder and harder. Her own wet nose rubbing against his face. It was not working. She took a bite of the soft skin and fur on the back of his neck and gently hauled him to the side of the road where it was safer. She lay down close to him to try and keep the pup warm.
She licked his face and just when she thought it was too late he gave a tiny whimper. She licked him some more in joy and lay back down beside him where they fell sleep.
The next day they got up and slowly walked towards the hills in search of food. There were two hikers that spared them some food and looked after the dogs and gave them a home where they were warm and dry and had enough to eat.