08/25/2026
Before Hank was ours, he was loved. ❤️
Hank came to The Muddy Pug after spending nearly ten years without a real home in Lewiston, Idaho. He wandered the area with his companion, Elsa, and often found his way to a local warehouse.
And that is where he found his way into Janny’s heart.
Janny looked out for Hank and Elsa for years. She fed them, watched over them, and became one of the people who cared for Hank during those years when he belonged to no one and, in some ways, belonged to everyone who loved him.
This morning, while visiting the west side of the Cascades, Janny made a special stop at the sanctuary to see her old friend. Watching them together was incredibly sweet. ❤️
And Janny shared a piece of Hank’s story we’d never heard.
When Elsa became very sick, Hank kept coming to Janny, desperately trying to get her attention and lead her somewhere. Eventually, one of Janny’s coworkers followed Hank deep into the woods.
Hank led them to Elsa. She had passed away.
In the weeks that followed, Hank was bereft. Janny remembers him crying for his companion and struggling terribly with being alone.
Maybe that makes what we see today even sweeter.
Hank is no longer alone.
He has settled beautifully into our back pasture with his best friends, Scribbles and Sam. Life moves pretty slowly back there, and Hank seems perfectly content with that.
Janny remembers a different Hank: an intact buck who would prance around, rear up and make his presence known. 😂 The Hank she met today was almost meditative—quietly standing in his pasture, surrounded by friends and very much at home.
Animals have whole chapters of their lives we may never know, and people who loved them long before they found their way to us.
We are so grateful Janny stopped by, shared more of Hank’s story, and continues to love him as one of his monthly sponsors.
If one of our residents has found a place in your heart, monthly sponsorship helps provide the safety, companionship and lifelong care they deserve. ❤️
