Chloe’s life could have ended before anyone discovered what she was capable of.
The dog had been rescued from the streets of Deming, New Mexico, and taken to the Deming County Humane Society on January 29, 2026.
Less than two weeks later, she was on the euthanasia list.
Then someone saw something in her.
On February 10, the Animal Rescue League of El Paso pulled Chloe from the shelter and brought her into its care.
For rescue founder Loretta Hyde, Chloe wasn’t simply another dog who needed saving.
She had potential.
And that observation changed everything.
Instead of becoming another heartbreaking shelter statistic, Chloe was selected for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection canine program.
Her next stop was the Border Patrol Canine Academy in El Paso, Texas.
There, Chloe began training for a very different kind of life.
She wasn’t being prepared to chase suspects or sniff out contraband.
Her future would be about something much less obvious—and incredibly important.
Helping people cope with trauma.
Chloe successfully completed the Border Patrol Critical Incident Response Canine Handler Course, which includes obedience training, critical-incident response work, and preparation for deployment with an assigned handler.
After graduation, she was paired with Border Patrol Agent Miguel Carrillo and assigned to the agency’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana, station.
Think about that transformation.
A dog who had been wandering the streets.
A dog who entered a shelter.
A dog who was placed on a euthanasia list.
And now?
She’s working alongside an agent, helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives.
Chloe and Carrillo have deployed across the Gulf Coast region to support Border Patrol employees, their families, and partner public-safety agencies through the Critical Incident Response Canine Program.
But Chloe’s work doesn’t stop there.
She has also become a source of comfort outside the agency.
Following the death of Deputy U.S. Marshal Drew Hanson, who was killed in the line of duty in July 2026, Chloe and Carrillo attended services and helped provide comfort to Hanson’s loved ones and colleagues.
She has also visited hospitals, spending time with patients recovering from serious illnesses and people receiving hospice care.
That’s quite a second chance.
And perhaps that’s what makes Chloe’s story so powerful.
Nobody knew exactly where her life was headed when she was sitting in that shelter.
She couldn’t explain what she could do.
She couldn’t tell anyone that she had more to give.
She simply needed someone willing to look beyond her circumstances.
Someone did.
And that person helped open a door Chloe never could have opened herself.
Her journey is also a reminder that rescue dogs can surprise us.
A dog who looks overlooked in a shelter may possess qualities nobody has had the opportunity to discover yet.
Sometimes, they need training.
Sometimes, they need patience.
And sometimes, they simply need someone to believe there is more to their story.
Chloe was given that chance.
Now she spends her days doing something extraordinary.
She comforts people who are hurting.
She stands beside people who have experienced trauma.
She visits patients who need a little warmth in a difficult moment.
The dog who once needed someone to save her is now helping save moments for others.
Her story started with uncertainty.
It nearly ended in a shelter.
Instead, it became something completely different.
Chloe didn’t just survive.
She found a purpose.
And perhaps the most beautiful part is this:
The dog they almost gave up on became the dog people now turn to when they need comfort most.
