Wayward
HUSKY MIX
From: Tucson, Arizona
Adopted: November 10, 2025
Many of our sanctuary animals are connected to the ones who came before them — especially our dogs. When a beloved resident passes, we don’t “replace” them. But sometimes, in honoring their memory, the universe guides us to another soul who needs us just as much.
On September 22, we lost Stevie, our blind Australian Cattle Dog, to oral melanoma. His passing left a deep ache in our hearts. We knew that one day we would open our home to another sight-impaired dog, but there was no hurry. Stevie’s space in our lives was sacred, and grief has its own timeline.
But fate had other plans.
Thao had a pre-birthday trip planned to visit her friend Penny in Arizona. Over the past year, Penny had helped transport two Pima Animal Care Center dogs — Cake and Junior — and the two had grown close, bonding over their law-enforcement backgrounds and their immense love for animals.
On the third and final day of her trip, as Thao was packing to head home, she happened to see a shared Facebook post about a 7-year-old German Shepherd/Husky mix named Wayward. She had browsed PACC dogs before, but none had truly spoken to her… until him.
Reading through his medical notes, one phrase jumped out in bold capital letters:
“BLIND DOG.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
Thao asked Penny if they could stop by PACC on the way to the airport. She needed to meet him.
When they arrived, Wayward walked out wearing a bright green collar embroidered with “BLIND DOG” — but it was immediately clear he wasn’t blind at all. Despite the thick green discharge crusted around his eyes, he was able to track Thao’s movements and engaged with her eagerly in the outdoor pen. She gently tried to clean his eyes, realizing instantly that this was not a blind dog — this was a dog who desperately needed medical attention the overwhelmed shelter simply couldn’t provide.
And in that moment, Stevie’s legacy whispered quietly through her heart.
The following week — the day after her birthday — Thao’s amazing husband, Vince, flew to Tucson, rescued Wayward, and brought home the most meaningful 51st birthday gift she could ever receive:
A dog named Wayward, chosen by fate, guided by Stevie, and welcomed into the Lucky Ones Ranch family.
