A street dog who was discovered in 112-degree heat and is thought to have had her mouth taped shut has found a loving forever home.
In July 2024, Pamela Iriqui of Arizona heard about a stray pup who was roaming around her boyfriend’s construction site, with little shelter and no food. After the first sighting, her boyfriend spent weeks looking for the dog, but every time he spotted her, she’d run away.
Two weeks later, Iriqui, 28, went with her boyfriend to the construction site to find the dog herself. After scouring the area, Iriqui told Newsweek that she found her lying underneath one of the machines and “she looked dead.” Once she came to realize they were there to rescue her, the dog instantly seemed grateful.
“She must have been wandering around the area for weeks,” Iriqui said. “Thankfully, when my boyfriend started to go under the machine, she looked at us, stood up, and started to wag her tail.”
It was early evening when the couple found the stray, who has since been named Honey Hot, and the outside temperature was still 112 degrees. Iriqui believes she lay beneath the machinery as it was “the only shelter” nearby.
“The moment we found her, she ran straight to my car and got in without hesitation. I think she came from an abusive household because she had tape residue or something around her mouth,” Iriqui continued.
After cleaning Honey Hot up, they took her to the vet to get checked over. She was estimated to be a German Pinscher, less than a year old at the time.
Iriqui didn’t know if she wanted to keep the dog initially, but when the vet informed her that Honey Hot didn’t have a microchip, she was overcome with relief. From that moment, it was clear that she was the missing piece.
“I thanked God when the vet said that because I knew she was my baby,” she told Newsweek. “Honey Hot is what I needed, I just didn’t know it yet. I was depressed from suffering multiple miscarriages in the past, but God sent her to me to bring me back to life.”
Iriqui continued: “She is such a momma’s girl now. She loves to nap in the sun, people watch, and get treats. We got her all kinds of toys, but she doesn’t like them—she prefers shoes, socks, and my boyfriend’s work gloves. She likes to sleep on her back with her paws in the air, it’s super funny.”
When Honey Hot first came home, she slept for 36 hours straight, only waking up for food and the bathroom. There are a lot of coyotes near the construction site, so Iriqui said she must have hardly slept until she finally felt safe.
Iriqui shared the adorable rescue story on TikTok (@pam_eeh) and the post melted plenty of hearts. The clip, showing the moment she was found, has amassed over 201,100 views and 28,700 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
“It’s been amazing. I never thought it would get this much love and positivity. A lot of people mentioned that I saved her, but I think she saved me,” Iriqui said.
Many social media users praised Iriqui for saving Honey Hot’s life, leading to more than 620 comments on the post so far.
One comment reads: “Can you imagine how relieved she was to be rescued from that heat?”
Another person added: “they’re so innocent. Thank you for saving her. Arizona weather is brutal.”
While another TikTok user responded: “Oh, she knew. She sensed safety in your presence.”
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The post Dog Found in Searing 112-Degree Heat Now Lives Her Best Life After Adoption appeared first on Newsweek.
