Last month, Bill Shaver was in the process of returning to his Missouri home. The man had just completed a fishing trip. While he was on the way home, he stopped to use the bathroom at a rest stop. Since he was only going to be gone for a moment, he decided that he would leave his car door open. Bill did not know that this minor decision would end up having a major impact.

When he got back to the car, he had an unexpected visitor. A stray dog had elected to plop themselves down in his passenger seat. River saw the open door while Bill was in the bathroom and seized the opportunity.

It had been awhile since she had access to regular food and water. The dog was severely malnourished and clearly in need of help.

Of course, Bill was not about to leave the dog out to dry. She needed help and she chose the right car. He did a double take initially but realized that the old girl would be better off with him.

Since he already has multiple rescue dogs at home, he is no stranger to assisting animals in need. He knew that the dog would want something to eat as well.

Unfortunately, he did not have much to offer at that time. He gave River a Rice Krispy treat that he happened to have in the vehicle. The grateful dog accepted the treat and scarfed it down rapidly. It did not take long for Bill to fall in love with her. He even snapped a photo to send to his wife. When Angela saw the photo, her heart went out to the pup. She quickly gave her approval.

“We decided to call her River because of where she found him,” says Angela

River did not want to leave the car when she first arrived at the family’s home. It took her awhile to feel safe. After some time had passed, her new dad carried her out into the backyard. All she needed was a little bit of love.

River’s already getting along well with her new siblings. She needed a bath to get rid of her ticks and Bill took her to the vet’s office, too. They gave her the help she needed with all of her other wounds.

She had a litany of other health issues but the vet gave her the medicine she needed and it was not long before River was given the all clear. Please share this awesome story with your friends and loved ones.