Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, a speedy whippet named Wardy is back home with his family in San Francisco, local news reported. And now his guardian, Bob Eicholz, is hopeful he can find the man who cared for Wardy despite having no home of his own.
Whippets are known for their lively, affectionate personalities — and they’re also known to be particularly athletic dogs. Wardy demonstrated his agility when he jumped a fence while staying with a sitter and used his speed to evade capture. When a woman saw him and was able to grab his collars, he easily shrugged them off and continued running.
Despite his wariness of strangers, someone earned Wardy’s trust. Three days after his disappearance, another dog walker spotted Wardy with a homeless man at a bus stop.
“The man had Wardy in a little crate and blanket, and he was giving him love and care,” recalled Monique Lee, who had spoken with the dog walker. “You can tell Wardy was content with him.”
After he was shown pictures and learned that Wardy had a family who was searching for him, the man immediately gave him up. He insisted they also take the blanket Wardy was wrapped in, saying it was his favorite — a testament to the strong bond they had formed in their short time together.
“The homeless man bought him a little crate, a blanket, a pad, food, dog toys and kept him for two days,” Bob Eicholz said. “This is [a] man who has nothing, and lives in this park. And took care of our little boy.”
Eicholz hopes to find the man and repay him for the love and kindness he showed Wardy. He knows exactly what he’d like to say to him.
“That was incredibly kind of you to do that. You didn’t have to do that. It touches my heart deeply that you took care [of] him. Not only food but you also bought him a place to stay,” Eicholz said. “Thank you.”
