"The homeless man said he knew what it was like to be homeless and didn't want the dog to be stray."
Often, those with the least among us understand just how important a helping hand can be.
Last week, Angel Janes was driving home in Salt Lake City, Utah, when she spotted a homeless man sitting just off the freeway exit with a sign asking for money or work. She stopped to offer the man what she had — a cigarette — and noticed that he was clutching a tiny Chihuahua, wrapped up in a blanket to shield him from the cold.
It soon became clear that the man's priority was the pup.
After Janes started talking to the man named Ron, he asked her if she could give the dog a good home. Ron told her he'd spotted a woman dumping the dog from her car on the busy road two hours earlier.
Fearing for the dog's safety, Ron came and scooped him up.
"Just in this brief time we spoke, I was inspired by this heartfelt person," Janes told The Dodo. "He was just trying to do right, so this dog 'wasn't homeless like me.'"
The abandoned Chihuahua was in caring hands, but Ron knew he deserved more than he could offer.
Unable to rehome the pup herself, Janes shared the story with her friends on Facebook. From there, Kathleen Dallmann reposted a page for local animal lovers detailing where Ron could be found.
"A few minutes after I posted it, a lady was on her way to pick up the dog to foster him," Dallmann told The Dodo. "She offered Ron $50 to show her gratitude for keeping him safe. He said, 'No, I just wanted to do the right thing.' But she insisted he take it."
Improving the little dog's lot in life was all that mattered to him at that moment.
"He was in tears because he was able to help the dog find a home," Dallmann recounted. "He said he knew what it was like to be homeless and didn't want the dog to be homeless."
That's when everything changed for the dog — and Ron, too.
The woman who'd picked the Chihuahua up from Ron was prepared to foster him for as long as it took to find him a forever home — but it didn't take long.
After learning about the little dog's situation, Chasity Guyer and her daughter decided to adopt him. They hit it off immediately, naming him Lucky Louie about how quickly he found help after losing all he had.
And now?
"He is doing good," Guyer told The Dodo, adding that Lucky Louie can now feel safe. "He's not going anywhere."
Lucky Louie's adoption was a huge win for all involved — but Dallmann knew the story wasn't yet complete.
"I was so happy that things had worked out for the dog, but I couldn't stop thinking about Ron," she said. "He didn't even have a place for himself. So, I started a GoFundMe page for him. I didn't know if anyone would donate, but after getting the word out, it got up to $500."
The fundraiser for Ron is still active, but Dallmann was able to withdraw some of the money that's been collected so far. She brought him a little over $400.
"He was in tears," Dallmann said. "He couldn't believe that the community would do something so nice for him. When I handed him the money, he wanted some of it to go to the dog's care. But I told him it was just for him."
Here's Ron on video with Dallmann, expressing his gratitude.
Ron has spoken to Dallmann about how he'd fallen on hard times, and she believes he is sincere in his desire to find stable work and turn his life around. He reportedly used the money to get off the street that night and purchased a cell phone to seek opportunities.
"Now that he has a phone, we're able to get in touch," Dallmann said. "He wants to get a job. Like the dog, everyone deserves a second chance at life."
