A dog surrendered by his owner after nine years together finally got the word that his forever family had come for him.
Hearts broke after watching TikTok user @jjack.iie’s September 5 video about the shelter dog named Dude. This senior dog knew his routine with his previous family. It had become a part of him for the past nine years. But for an undisclosed reason, Dude’s family decided to move on.
His owners surrendered him to Valley Animal Center, a no-kill animal shelter in Fresno, California. There he sat day in and day out, wondering what had happened to the life he once knew. In the recent clip, he looks comfortable resting on a bed with blankets and pillows. However, his doggy ears tell a different story.
Dude’s ears were flattened and pinned back, which means he could be uncomfortable or uncertain, according to an article on the website Rover. He stared at the person outside the kennel with hope still in his eyes, despite his family leaving him behind.
A dog was surrendered to a shelter after being with his owner for nine years. The dog was finally adopted following about a month of shelter life.
@jjack.iie/TikTok
The video’s creator told Newsweek via TikTok that Dude stayed in the shelter for close to a month before finally getting adopted.
But before the good news spread, TikTok users flooded the comments section with disbelief over Dude’s story. The clip has amassed over 1.5 million views and 213,800 likes as of Friday.
“I don’t understand how someone could do this. That puppy lived a whole life with a family that just gave up,” said one viewer.
Another wrote: “Pls let’s find a loving home for this senior angel. He deserves a new and better family. Wishing the best to you sweet baby.”
Dude’s story is just one of thousands that happen daily across the country. People will surrender their pets for various reasons, including age, behavioral problems, cost, moving, new pets or allergies.
Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, at an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, 24Petwatch’s Shelter Watch Report found.
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs and behavior rehabilitation.
Michigan’s Humane Society of Macomb says advanced planning can help owners avoid surrendering their pets. For example, many behavioral problems owners face are due to the dog breed’s characteristics. Proper research and talking with employees at the shelter you want to adopt from will lead you toward the perfect match.
Plan ahead of time when moving to find a pet-friendly location that will accommodate your fur baby. Before introducing a new animal to the house, owners should consider your pet’s needs and personality. Try a meet and greet to determine if everyone will get along.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
