Abandoned dog discovered by mail carrier finds forever home

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (FOX 9) - This week, Ruff Start Rescue has stepped in to help a young puppy find a new home with a family just outside the metro.

The puppy named "Priority" is an Australian cattle dog and border collie mix with large ears, a loud bark, and a unique story of survival. A few weeks ago, a mail carrier in South Dakota found the dog abandoned and clearly malnourished.

"He was found all alone, and at the time, he was probably only seven or eight weeks old," foster Taya Moxley-Goldsmith explained on Wednesday. "His name is Priority right now because he was picked up by the mail carrier."

The mail carrier got in touch with Minnesota’s Ruff Start Rescue, and the animal rescue organization eventually brought the dog to the Moxley-Goldsmith home in Eagan, for a temporary stay with their foster family.

"He was pretty skinny, he came all the way from South Dakota, so he was pretty tired," Moxley-Goldsmith said.

Two weeks later, on August 24, Priority transitioned to a permanent new home; he’s been adopted by the Menzel family, and his future looks exciting, "We have about five acres and some trails at home that we love to explore with our dog," Julia Menzel said. "So I think [we’ll be] running around at home and would love to eventually take him on some trails hiking."

In the end, it’s a happy ending for a dog that was down on its luck, while also a reminder that rescue organizations are always ready to step in and find animals a new home.