A woman leaving her workout spotted a scared dog outside her gym, and what happened next changed both their lives.
Kimberly Dishon walked out of Planet Fitness in Oklahoma one rainy day. A small dog sat by the doors, staring inside. He was soaking wet and shaking.
“As I was walking out the doors of Planet Fitness, this little guy caught my attention, just staring in the doors, helpless as could be,” Dishon said.
She walked up to him. The dog looked terrified but stayed put. “He looked very scared,” Dishon said. “But at the same time, he was almost asking for help.”
No one was around. Dishon knew she couldn’t leave him there. She grabbed gym towels and wrapped him up. Then she put him in her car and drove home.
The moment they got home, the dog relaxed. He had been outside in the rain for who knows how long. Now he was finally safe and warm.
“Within a few minutes, he was passed out,” Dishon said. “It was as though a sense of relief overcame him that somebody’s taking care of him.”
The next day, Dishon took him to the vet. He needed flea treatment. The vet checked for a microchip but found nothing. This meant Dishon could keep him.
She didn’t have to think twice. From the first moment she saw him, she felt connected to him.
Dishon named him Pluto because she found him at Planet Fitness. Pluto settled into his new home. He went on long walks. He played with Dishon’s pug. They became best friends.
Dishon noticed something special about Pluto. He had a calm, gentle way about him. She serves in the military and has friends with PTSD. She thought Pluto might help people who are hurting.
Dishon started training Pluto as a therapy dog. She took him to the airport when one of her troops was deploying. “Let’s take you to the airport and see how you do,” she said. Pluto did great.
The scared little dog who sat outside a gym is now bringing comfort to others.
“We just needed each other,” Dishon said.
God places people and animals in our path for a reason. When we open our hearts to help, we often find that we’re the ones being helped too.
WATCH: Dog Waits Outside Gym in the Rain Until One Woman Changes His Life Forever
