A couple inspecting an Alabama house for sale were dumbfounded to realize the previous owners had left their dog behind.
April Morgan and her fiancé, J. C. Billak, arrived at their potential new home on March 1 this year to discover the pit bull named Molly tied to a tree in the backyard. Thinking there must still be someone living in the home, they questioned the agent accompanying them but were told the property was definitely vacant.
A little while later, a neighbor came over and told them what had happened.
“The owners left over a month prior to the house being listed, and [the neighbor] had been taking care of Molly ever since,” Mr. Billak told The Epoch Times. “She said the old owners didn’t want Molly, and she was giving her food and water. We immediately looked at each other and said we’d take her.”
Later that day, after looking around the house, the couple made a full-price offer—adding a special message: they would take Molly. After a 30-day closing process, on April 1, they moved in, welcoming Molly into their family.
The 10-year-old dog now has a wonderful new life with Ms. Morgan and Mr. Billak plus their two other dogs and three cats. Thanks to their kind neighbor who had been feeding Molly, her weight was good, and she was in decent condition, the couple says. Due to her own pets, however, she wasn’t able to take Molly in.
“She was probably Molly’s best human that took care of her until we got her. The neighbors said the dog had been alone for months after the owners moved out,” Mr. Billak said.
The couple decided to move to Silverhill, Alabama, to take over Ms. Morgan’s family jewelry business after her father passed away last September, and then, in November, Mr. Billak’s father also passed away. A former nurse, Ms. Morgan is from Los Angeles while her fiancé, who previously worked in structural design, comes from Ohio.
Both agree that as soon as they laid eyes on Molly and learned of her situation, they knew it was meant to be.
“She kinda took a half second to check us out, then ran up and started loving on us,“ Mr. Billak said. ”We were talking to her gently to let her know we meant no harm, and she knew it. She is just the sweetest dog; we saw that immediately.”
Molly wasn’t only dirty and smelly but was also suffering a bad cough from a heavy load of heartworms. One of the first things her rescuers did was get her all cleaned up and treated for worms. They tried to find out more about their new addition through the real estate agents, but all they could learn was her name and approximate age. Their mailwoman told the couple she'd been going to the house for years but had never realized Molly was there as the dog must have been chained up out the back.
At first, afraid she was going to get shut out in the cold again, Molly was very hesitant to leave the house. But now, realizing that won’t happen, and she is loved, the senior pit bull ventures out to explore with the other dogs.
“She’s a full member of the pack now. She’s more confident and trusting; a lot happier and playful. She’s not dealing with heartworms too, so she’s healthier,” Mr. Billak said. “The cats love her, and the dogs love her, too.”
Molly’s previous owners also left behind their cat, who lives in the garage and is cared for by the couple.
“[The cat] won’t go near the dogs and doesn’t ever want to come in the house,” Mr. Billak said. “She prefers the garage, and we have her a little set up she likes, up on the shelves. She has a little bed and food and water in there.”
Of their other cats, it is Joofus who has taken a particular shine to Molly. “Joofus is in love with Molly. She rubs on her and licks her all the time. Quite an odd bond; I’ve never seen a cat like a dog so much,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the couple’s other dogs, Mojo, is like Molly’s “favorite bud,” always running around with her.
Molly’s life has been transformed. When the couple shared her story on social media, the once-neglected dog received an outpouring of empathy from people upset by her past treatment.
“We never expected the reaction it got,” Mr. Billak said. “It really was moving to see so much love for Molly being expressed.”
The couple say they wouldn’t hesitate to recommend anyone thinking of adopting a dog consider an older one.
