It was a typical afternoon at Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary (ZRFS) when owners Kristin Hartness and Jay Yontz suddenly had a concerning realization: They hadn’t seen their beloved senior pup, Whitey, in a few hours.
The couple began scanning the 110-acre farm, accounting for all 100 of their animals, minus Whitey. As the hours passed with no signs of Whitey, the couple’s worries intensified. Until, suddenly, Kristin heard a distant “squish.”
When Kristin and Jay first purchased the farm in 2017, they knew the property came with a few animals — one of whom was Whitey. But they never imagined the bond they would form with the lonely barn dog who was once wary of humans.
“Whitey used to live in the barn alone; he had no family,” ZRFS wrote on Facebook. “His job was to protect the animals.”
As soon as Kristin and Jay took over the farm, they knew they wanted to give Whitey a better life. They immediately moved him inside, physically carrying him in since he was too scared to enter on his own.
Whitey slept with his new humans that night, and when they opened the door for him the next morning, they found him surprisingly close by.
“The next morning, he went outside, and when I opened the door, he was sleeping in a ball outside of the door,” ZRFS wrote. “He was so happy to be a beloved family dog. He’s been inside every day since.”
Whitey instantly took to life as a house dog, shedding his fear of humans and thoroughly enjoying the comforts of his new home. No matter where they went, Whitey always followed Kristin and Jay everywhere. He’d spent over a decade roaming the barn freely, but after falling in love with Kristin and Jay, Whitey refused to leave their side.
That’s why, when he disappeared for hours the other day only to be found chest-deep in a giant mud pit, they were shocked.
“Whitey wasn’t [making] any noise, Kristin could barely hear the faint sound of him trying to get out of the mud,” ZRFS wrote in an Instagram Reel. “This is the last place we thought we’d find Whitey.”
The poor boy was exhausted from his hours-long attempt to escape the mud, desperately kicking his legs without moving an inch. Luckily, his mom found him just in time.
Kristin tried to pull Whitey out, but to no avail; thankfully, Jay was right behind her. He soon lifted the pup out of the mud and plopped him down on dry land.
You can watch Whitey’s rescue here:
Whitey hobbled around the farm for a bit with his parents chasing behind him as he regained his footing. Once the adrenaline wore off, the couple carried him inside and washed the mud off his body.
Before long, Whitey was snuggled in his bed with his relieved humans right by his side.
There’s no doubt that Whitey is an integral member of the ZRFS family. He’s not just Kristin and Jay’s best friend; he’s friends with every single animal on the farm. And after a scary few hours of him being missing, everyone at ZRFS is thrilled to know he’s OK.
“He’s truly been a blessing every single day since we moved in,” ZRFS wrote. “Today, he is the center of our world.”
