Angela Adan is a seasoned dog rescuer from Tehachapi, California who has saved dogs from all kinds of horrid situations. Because of this, Angela said that she rarely gets emotional on the job, so it came as a surprise to her when this little stray dog brought her to tears within minutes.

It all started when Angela received a tip about a stray dog and drove four hours to pick her up. As soon as she pulled back the blanket that the dog was wrapped in, Angela’s heart sank, as she saw a chihuahua that had some very serious medical issues. Among other things, the chihuahua had bulging eyes, too many teeth, and splayed front legs that made it almost impossible for her to walk.

As Angela inspected the malnourished dog, she was stunned when the animal tilted her face up to lick her rescuer’s face. Angela burst into tears as she realized that this was the dog’s way of thanking her. It was in that moment that Angela knew that this dog would not make it to the shelter: this chihuahua was coming home with her instead.

“There are moments when I know that dogs are truly thanking me, and this was absolutely one of those moments. She knows she’s safe and cared for now,” Angela explained.

Angela brought the dog home with her and named her Freddie Mercury. These days, Freddie is getting all the love that she deserves, and she is still as affectionate as she was that first day!

Angela knows that Freddie likely will not live long because of her health issues, but she wants to make sure that she gets as much love as possible. Freddie still can’t walk properly, so Angela has nicknamed her “T-Rex” because of the way she stands on her hind feet.

Angela explained that loving the “damaged” dogs has given her life new meaning.

“People often ask me how do I do it? How can you foster a special needs dog knowing she could pass away at any day?” she said. “The answer is simple, dogs teach me to just have fun and to be in the moment. I do my best to just enjoy this time right here, right now, and not worry about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. Life is short, take breaks when you need it and just enjoy the moment you have right this second.”

“She’s so deserving just like they all are, but there’s something very special about this one,” Angela said of Freddie. “She just looks at you with pure gratitude.”