A dog who was “minutes away” from being euthanized has been saved in the most dramatic circumstances, but his rescue proved bittersweet.
Bruce first arrived at DeKalb County Animal Services after being abandoned as a puppy at just six months old. He was adopted shortly after, but within a few short years, he found himself back at the shelter.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t uncommon,” Erica Perets, the Founder of RescueMeATL, told Newsweek. “Many dogs re-enter the system due to circumstances outside their control—like housing restrictions, financial hardship, or major life changes.”
RescueMeATL is a nonprofit set up to address the way Atlanta responds to what Perets describes as the “shelter dog crisis.”
“Through viral storytelling, grassroots action, and pressure on broken systems, we help at-risk dogs get seen, saved, and supported—empowering everyday people to be part of the solution,” she said.
That’s how she discovered Bruce and why she decided to share his story on the RescueMeATL TikTok account.
“Bruce was placed on the euthanasia list due to lack of space. He had no medical or behavioral concerns—he was simply out of time in an overcrowded shelter,” Perets said.
Euthanasia is an unfortunate reality for many shelters in the U.S. that struggle with space. According to Shelter Animals Count (SAC), a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on animal sheltering, in 2024, 334,000 dogs were euthanized.
At the same time, shelters remain at a breaking point, with the SAC estimating that 103,000 animals were added to shelter populations last year.
Peters believes that shelters too often face the brunt of criticism regarding shelter euthanization. She believes the real issues lie with the system they operate in.
“Overcrowding, lack of spay or neuter enforcement and government funding, and the continued impact of backyard breeding have created conditions where even healthy, adoptable dogs are being euthanized simply due to space,” she said.
Peters also believes that the practice of “backyard breeding,” where people breed dogs in careless or substandard conditions, has led to shelters being flooded with unwanted litters and surrendered pets.
Bruce could so easily have become another statistic. Thankfully, RescueMeATL’s intervention and the actions of one good Samaritan changed everything.
Bruce the dog getting rescued from an Atlanta animal shelter the day that he was supposed to be euthanized.
TikTok/rescueme_ATL
“We issued an urgent call to action for Bruce and several other dogs facing euthanasia that day,” Perets said. “Todd Smith, known affectionately as ‘Mr. Todd’ by volunteers and the community, saw that no one was coming and rushed to the shelter. “
To say Mr. Todd arrived in the nick of time would be something of an understatement.
“Bruce had already received the sedative—the first injection in the process,” Perets said. “When Mr. Todd arrived. Bruce was minutes away from being lost. He arrived just in time to save Bruce and stayed at the shelter for five hours while Bruce recovered from sedation.”
The footage of Bruce walking free from the shelter on the day he was due to be put to sleep was shared on the RescueMeATL TikTok page. It went viral, amassing over 230,000 views and counting.
“We shared Bruce’s freedom walk because it represents more than one dog’s rescue,” Perets said. “It’s a window into what’s happening every day in shelters across the country.”
It highlighted what proved to be a bittersweet moment for Perets, who had campaigned for several dogs to get a reprieve that day.
“Bruce was the only dog who made it out of DeKalb County alive that day,” she said. “Every dog deserves a chance, and while we’re grateful Bruce got his, we carry the weight of the others who didn’t.”
Bruce will now be fostered by Mr. Todd with the goal of being adopted. Perets is still in desperate need of people willing to show up and help other dogs like him.
“You don’t need to run a rescue to make a difference; you don’t even need experience. You just have to be willing to show up. Because one person did, a good dog got another chance,” she said.
“But too often, when the alarms are sounded, everyone waits for someone else to step forward. The reality is: if everyone waits, no one comes, and good dogs like Bruce don’t make it out.”
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