Stray dog sits next to a couple’s parked car during their road trip and ends up going home with them

When Emily Trost and her boyfriend drove across the country on a 10-week road trip, they were ready to experience the best adventure of their lives.

What they didn’t know was that by the end of their journey, they would come home with someone very special.

The couple stopped at a gas station in Montana at one point during their trip. They went inside to shop a bit, and when they came back to their car, they found a tiny dog sitting next to it. It looked like she had been waiting for them.

At first, the couple assumed the dog pup had just slipped away from its owner somewhere nearby, so they began asking around.

“Our initial thought was that she was the pet of someone else using the gas station,” Emily told The Dodo. “My boyfriend and I went around to others at the gas station asking if she was theirs. We also waited with her to see if somebody came out of the gas station store to claim her. Nobody did, and as we were waiting, we realized how dirty she was with thorns, twigs and pricklies all caught in her long hair and our hearts broke for her.”

After a while, someone came to confirm that the dog was, indeed, a stray. A woman driving pulled over and told them that she regularly feeds the stray dogs in the area.

She also took this opportunity to plead with the couple to take the puppy with them, saying that she was a wonderful dog who deserved a good home.

They were moved by the woman’s pleas and decided to take the stray dog with them. They wanted to find a rescue that will take her in along the way.

But after petting the sweet puppy and looking at her hopeful face, they both knew—even without saying—that that wasn’t going to happen.

“Within minutes of driving away with her in the car, we knew she was coming home with us,” Emily said.

They eventually named the puppy Montana after the state they found her in. When the dog sat down next to their car that day, she probably hoped that its owners would give her some food and a bit of attention. But what she got was so much better—she found a loving family!

“The morning after we got her was the best,” Emily recalled. “She woke up in our tent and started crawling up to our heads, whimpering and giving us kisses. We could tell she was truly surprised that we were still there with her and that no human had probably ever stayed with her for that long.”

During the first few days, the then 7-month old Montana slept a lot, seemingly relishing the moment that she finally found two people who would look after her.

But after that initial adjustment period, Montana’s real personality began to show. Emily and her boyfriend saw the canine transform into the happiest and most energetic puppy they had ever met!

Montana also turned out to be an enthusiast for adventure. She enjoyed every single minute of traveling with her new family. The dog also made sure that she was always on her best behavior to show the couple how grateful she was for accepting her.

“She loved the rest of the trip, always excited to hike and swim with us,” Emily said. “She was great in the car and would just lay down and sleep. She even loved sleeping in the tent every night and learned very quickly that wherever our tent was set up was home.”

And when the end of their trip came, the couple drove with a new family member in tow, excited to introduce Montana to the rest of their dogs.

Now, Montana is enjoying her life at home with her siblings, toys, and all the love she’s getting from her parents.

Emily said the dog can be stubborn sometimes and throws tantrums whenever she doesn’t get what she wants. But just like every pup, she is learning how to be better every day.

Montana’s life has changed completely, and it’s all because she picked the right car to sit next to. Knowing their story, one couldn’t help but think that it’s fate that brought them together!

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