A year ago, Lola was nothing more than a timid stray pup with soft fur, oversized ears, and a wary gaze. She wandered the campus grounds, a tiny figure darting between benches and bushes, always alert, always alone. Most students thought she belonged to someone—until they realized she didn’t.
Lola had been the runt of her litter, left behind when her mother moved the others. No collar, no home, and no protection, she survived on luck and leftover crumbs. By afternoon, she’d settle under the same weathered bench near the engineering block, curling into herself, waiting for nightfall.