“Sometimes you have a situation you think you’re not ready for, and fate steps in…”
Walking down her neighborhood sidewalk, Karen couldn’t help but notice someone was following her. A nervous German shepherd had been padding along the pavement right behind, clearly interested but keeping a careful distance.
“I wasn’t scared of her following,” Karen, who asked that her last name not be used, told The Dodo. “At first, I tried to get her to come up to me, but she was too scared. I sat on the curb and waited.”
Karen worried the dog may have been âbаndơnеd because of her breed, and she immediately felt connected to her. She couldn’t leave her alone.
She learned that the stray pup had been spotted in the area many times, but no one had been able to gain her trust. “Everyone tried to catch her — humane society, neighbors and security,” Karen said. For some reason, the skittish dog felt safer around Karen. After much patience and coaxing, the pup allowed Karen to bring her home. “I was the first one she allowed close enough,” Karen said. “I am really amazed at how these things happen.”
The pairing seemed likе fate. After losing her beloved golden retriever, Lola, in 2019, Karen had been considering getting another dog but was still on the fence. She had no idea her new best friend would literally walk into her life. She quickly fell in love and named the dog Nala.
“Nala followed me and removed any fears I had [of] finally getting a dog,” Karen said. “Sometimes you have a situation you think you’re not ready for, and fate steps in and says, ‘Umm, yeah, you are.’”
Karen made a video documenting her experience and it soon went viral online. You can watch it here:
