After Being Rescued from Wildfires, Nalla Finally Found her Family

Last summer, after the sudden passing of her Labrador Retriever, Julie T.’s other resident dog, a Bassett Hound named Charlie, wasn’t eating and was spending more time than usual in his crate. Charlie, like the rest of his family, was grieving, and as his forlorn behavior increased, Julie decided that it was time to introduce a new canine into their lives.

While looking for dogs available for adoption in Ohio, Julie stumbled across a Coonhound-mix named Nalla, who was residing at the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus. Nalla had been rescued from wildfires in New Mexico in July 2024 and was part of evacuation efforts that included 39 other dogs from animal welfare organizations in Santa Fe and Sandoval counties to free up critical space and resources for animals displaced by the wildfires and burn scar flooding in the area.

These dogs were initially transported to an ASPCA emergency facility located outside of the disaster zone where they received care from our medical, behavior and shelter professionals. Once cleared, many of these animals, including Nalla, were then transported to the CRC where they would later be made available for adoption.

That’s when Julie spotted her on our website.

“Her picture and videos were of her smiling and playing in a baby pool, having the best time,” remembered Julie. “She made me laugh. I sent the link to my husband, and we made an appointment to meet her the next week.”

The whole family went to meet Nalla, including Charlie. When she came into the room, Nalla was happy, friendly and sniffing everything and everyone. Charlie eventually got in on the fun and tried to play with Nalla for a bit.

“We knew instantly she was coming home with us,” said Julie.

Life at Home

Nalla was pretty nervous when she arrived at her new home, and though she loved walks and introducing herself to everyone on the street, her walking skills needed some work.

“She feared several things like the school bus, church bells, loud cars and was afraid to walk on our hardwood floors,” explained Julie. “We ended up having to buy a bunch of cheap yoga mats to cover the floor so she could walk around the house, but with time all those fears passed.”

Since overcoming her fears with the help of her pet parents, Nalla has blossomed into a happy pup who makes her family laugh every day. She loves waking Julie’s son up for school, barking at anything that moves and pouncing into the bushes after toads. She also “talks” a lot when she wants something.

“We got her DNA tested and she is 90 percent Coonhound and 10 percent German Shepard,” Julie told us. “Apparently, Coon Hounds love to talk. Our house gets loud with two hounds!”

Julie considers Nalla to be the funniest, goofiest dog she’s ever had.

“If something goes in a circle she will try to attack it,” explained Julie. “Fidget spinners are her biggest rival. We have a chair that swivels and if we spin it around, she will bark at it and try to eat it. Her biggest toy now is the hose. If we need her to burn off some energy, we turn it on and let her chase the water around. Except now she will sit by the faucet and bark until we turn the hose on.”

In addition to the hose, Nalla is obsessed with shoes.

“Looking for our shoes has become a new ritual in our house,” said Julie. “Even if we put them where we think she cannot reach them, she finds them.”

Though it’s Nalla’s quirks and silly nature that Julie and her family adore so much about her.

“Shelter dogs are unique because you don’t know their trauma or their stories. You just have to be patient and give them time to adjust to their new surroundings. Nalla was a great addition to our family, and we are so happy to have found her.”