Dog Insists On Saving Every Stranded Earthworm She Sees
"She will run over so excited, pick them up as gently as she can in her mouth, and then put them in the grass."
We could all learn a thing or two about kindness from this big-hearted pup named Holliday. The sweet 2-year-old dog, remarkably, has taken it upon herself to lend a helping snout to some of the world's lowliest creatures in their moments of need.
And she's not afraid of getting a little dirty doing it.
Holliday was rescued by Caitlyn Beebe when she was just a puppy, looking for a home from Felines and Canines in Chicago. It was on a later visit to Beebe's parents that Holliday learned there were other animals who needed rescuing, too — like distressed earthworms who'd become stranded in the hot sun after a heavy rain.
The dog clearly took note. And incredibly, she remembered just what to do about it.
"When Holliday was little and we would go for walks with my mom, my mom would pick up worms from the road and throw them in the grass. Soon, Holliday started doing it too!" Beebe told The Dodo. "Now she does it all the time and will scour the road for lost earthworms and bugs to save. She will run over so excited, pick them up as gently as she can in her mouth, and then put them in the grass."
Recently, Beebe caught Holliday's sweet, lifesaving behavior on video.
Beebe is happy she got this footage of Holliday in action, since merely hearing about her insistence on saving worms might seem too unbelievable without it. She herself could hardly believe it.
"I was shocked. I know most dogs will rub on them or eat them, but she was so gentle with them!" Beebe said. "Sometimes they will fall out of her mouth because she is so gentle, but she will just pick them back up until they are in the grass. Sometimes she will even watch them for a few minutes as they crawl in the ground. I know it sounds crazy, because she was never trained with treats or repetition, she just kind of ... does it on her own."
Holliday is an all-around good dog, Beebe says, with lots of love for people (especially kids) and other pets. But there's something particularly special about her concern for living creatures whom many others might write off without a second thought. That sweet instinct certainly hasn't been lost on her owner.
"It reminds me that you should love and care for everyone," Beebe said. "Even if they are different from you."