Nala, the Pitbull, was seen roaming the streets alone. Fortunately, the people who saw her acted quickly by taking her to the Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue in New Zealand.

She may have been rescued from the streets, but life in the shelter wasn’t as picture-perfect.

Nala remained in a cage where she spent hours lying down, refusing to eat or drink anything. She wouldn’t even move despite the folks at the shelter calling her repeatedly.

The poor dog didn’t trust anyone enough to come close and help her.

Abbey van der Plas, responsible for running the shelter, kept trying. She would spend two days sitting on the floor near Nala’s cage.

The sad and terrified dog still wouldn’t budge. The only sound Nala could manage was a distressed growl.

Disheartening as this was, Abbey never thought of giving up.

Progress finally came when Abbey reached out to her 7-year-old son, Zach, for help.

The minute Zach sat on the floor beside Nala’s cage, Nala’s focus immediately turned to him – and it wasn’t out of wariness or hostility.

Almost immediately, Nala stood up, stretched, and approached the little boy, tail wagging.

This left Abbey completely amazed.

There was no solid explanation for the sudden events except for theories like Nala once belonging to a family with kids the same age as Zach.

Thanks to Zach, the people at the shelter could finally pet and feed Nala with ease.

Nala no longer avoided people. She allowed them to take care of her until they could find the perfect family to adopt her.

That proved to be challenging for Abbey, too. After all, how many families would be patient and loving enough to help the Pitbull overcome her separation anxiety?

Abbey shared with The Dodo,

“We introduced Nala to as many people and situations as we could, not just our family. It was all about teaching her how to be confident in the world. She’s had a heap of applications from the USA and Australia but not many from New Zealand, and none that have been suitable.”

There were also countless people on YouTube expressing their intention to adopt Nala, but Abbey was finally able to pick the perfect home for the dog.

“Her new forever family had a wee boy the same age as my son, and they visited us many times, and we visited them many times until she was as comfortable with them as she was with us. She adores them. Four years on, they all live happily ever after.”

Abbey was thrilled that Nala was finally happy and safe in her forever home.

She now has three kids to love, take care of, and play with every day and a place where she can finally thrive and return to her old, happy self again.

Protecting and loving a dog takes a lot of love and patience.

Kudos to Abbey and Zach for not giving up on Nala and ensuring she had a smooth and healthy transition to her new home.

Watch the adorable video of Nala below!

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Source: Inside Edition, Give A Little, The Dodo