Kindness can raise the world up and give hope to those who seem to have the least. And when we give that grace to the smallest of us, to the animals often ignored on the sides of roads, that simple act can change lives. For one little puppy, living outside Columbus, Ohio, his bad luck slowly began to change.

Columbo, a stray with no friends, lived on the streets and had little to eat. His troubles were made worse after he was hit by a car. But then Jarrett Little entered the picture. A cyclist who was out riding with friends, he stopped on a path to take a rest. And right there was Columbo, a few feet away.

“At first, I thought it was a fox,” Little’s friend, Chris Dixons, said. “Then this dog started running across the road toward us. He looked terrible. He was hungry. He was in bad shape, but he seemed happy to see us.” Injured, Colombo was still thrilled to not only have attention, but food from the two cyclists.

Andrea Shaw with her new dog, Bo, after he was rescued. Photo courtesy of Shaw

Little said he immediately knew that the dog needed more help than the pair could give him. But, to get Columbo help, would require a bit of ingenuity on the cyclists’ part.

We couldn’t leave him,” Little said.

So, the men tried a few different ways to carry the dog on Little’s bike. Finally, Little settled Columbo over his back, securing the dog’s legs into his back pocket and essentially carried the dog piggyback style. From that moment on, Columbo was on his way to a better life.

After 30 minutes, the bicyclists met with a woman, Andrea Shaw, who was in town when the cyclists arrived. Originally from Maine, Shaw was in Ohio on business. But when she was Columbo, she said it was love at first sight. As soon as she heard the pup’s story, she knew Columbo belonged to her.

Chris Shaw with his new dog, Bo. Photo courtesy of the Shaw family

But, before he could move in with his forever family, Columbo needed to see a vet for his injuries. Once at the emergency vet, it was determined that Columbo had two fractures that needed fixing. And not long after, he was on his way to Maine, and Shaw’s family.

As for his rescuer, Little, it was all about timing and compassion for others. “They say the odds of winning the lottery are one in a million. This pup was the winner this week,” Little said. “[An] amazing series of fortunate events.”

Columbo, or Bo for short, now lives his best life with his new humans, their son, Chris, as well as two other dogs and horses. Not a bad ending for a pup found on the side of the road. Watch below for a look at Bo’s journey to his forever family.

Sources: The Dodo | Yahoo News