One morning in March last year, the staff of the Humane Society of St. Thomas arrived to find two skinny island dogs chained up at the front gates.
This wasn’t unusual in itself.
Amie Mayes, a volunteer and social media coordinator at the Humane Society of St. Thomas, told The Dodo that people often left unwanted dogs at the gates.
But there was just one problem — the staff could barely approach the two dogs.
“They were very, very feral,” Mayes said. “You just couldn’t handle them.”
The dogs — named Sofrito and Wasabi by the shelter staff — were so terrified that even basic care became a challenge. The staff ultimately placed them in quarantine, not because they were sick, but because they were a “flight risk.”
“They were so scared,” Mayes said. “They were going to dart.”
At first, everything about the world seemed unfamiliar to the two dogs. Human touch. Leashes. Playtime.
They were even too scared to take a hot dog when it was offered to them. “Every dog should want to eat a weenie,” said Mayes.
But the shelter volunteers didn’t give up.
Day by day, they worked with Sofrito and Wasabi, helping them get used to human companionship and socializing them with other dogs. Progress came in “lots of little moments,” said Mayes.
“It took the volunteers working with them to teach them how to be dogs,” she added. “To teach them how to play.”
There was one thing that did seem to break through their fear: bubbles.
“They would chase those bubbles all around the park,” Mayes said.
Not long after that, their lives changed forever.
In July, a St. Thomas-based organization called Pets With Wings gave the sisters a “freedom flight” off the island. The dogs ended up in Maine, where they were welcomed by Grammy Rose Dog Rescue & Sanctuary.
For Sofrito, now renamed June, everything fell into place almost immediately. Maine resident Sarah Lachance had been quietly searching for the right dog after losing her beloved pup months earlier.
“I was looking online pretty regularly, waiting for a pup to speak to me through the screen,” Lachance told The Dodo in an email. “Then June (Sofrito at the time) and her sister appeared.”
A few days later, Lachance and her partner, Zach, visited the rescue to meet June. “She was very shy and nervous when we met her,” Lachance said. “We sat on the floor … and let her approach us. She kept her head down and tail low, but let us pet her gently.”
“It was clear from the beginning how sweet and loving she was,” Lachance added.
Lachance and her partner decided that June needed to come home with them and be their dog.
The island pup now had a forever home — but she still had some growing to do.
“When we were outside she was a carefree puppy, [but] when we were inside she was hesitant and nervous,” Lachance said. “June chose the doormat in front of the sliding door as her safe space.”
Lachance and her partner did everything they could to help June feel comfortable.
“Soft and gentle voices, no big surprises and only making her world bigger when she made it clear she was ready,” Lalchance said.
Weeks passed before June felt brave enough to leave her doormat and join them on the couch. But when she did, her transformation picked up speed.
Now June spends her days cuddling with her parents and playing outside.
“Her absolute favorite is chasing the water from the hose!” Lachance said. “She jumps and dances in the sprinklers and chases the water around.”
“She’s a sweet soul,” Lachance said. “She’s a complete lover girl and just wants to be with us. She’s clever, gentle and cuddly.”
While June has found her happy ending, her sister, Wasabi, is still waiting for hers. “Wasabi has just as much potential and love to give as June,” Lachance said. “We know her people are out there — they just need to find her.”
