Nikki, a German Shepherd, used to walk the streets of Detroit, Michigan, with her owner, but as days passed by, the neighbors spotted her all by herself, with just a stuffed toy she wouldn’t let go of.Sadly, her owner died, and she was now left all by herself.Nikki carried her stuffed toy around dutifully, and it was a heartbreaking sight.“Typically, a dog who’s a stray wouldn’t hold on to a stuffie. They wouldn’t put anything in their mouths, they would just look for food,” Gail Montgomery, cofounder and director of Almost Home Animal Rescue League, told The Dodo. “But this was her security.”

The lonely pup wandered the neighborhood for weeks, hoping to find a forever home. Neighbors gave her food and water as they searched for a rescue, finally reaching South Lyon Murphy Lost Animal Recovery.Following several frustrating days of failed attempts, the rescue team succeeded, but even on the way to safety, Nikki clutched her treasured toy as if it were her lifeline.“She felt like that was her comfort and her security,” Montgomery said. “It’s like she thinks that’s her binky.”