A dog’s heartbreaking transformation after living in a shelter for nearly two years gives viewers a glimpse of how an animal’s entire demeanor can change under a stressful environment.
Once full of hope, Paddy showed nothing but excitement on her first day at Cochrane Humane Society in Canada. She didn’t know what would happen to her, but she held onto the idea her forever family was out there. However, as the days ticked on, she started losing that sparkle in her eye.
The animal shelter‘s Instagram video posted on July 27 compared Paddy’s positive attitude when she first got to the humane society and what she looked like on day 716.
Nearly two years later, her smile and excitement were gone. She kept her head down as her hope vanished. Paddy didn’t bother interacting with the person filming because she thought there was no point. No matter what she did, she still wouldn’t be adopted.
The Cochrane Humane Society wrote in a separate video that Paddy isn’t alone in these feelings. Hers is “not an isolated case,” especially as they see animals in shelters for longer and longer stays. The stressful shelter environment can take a toll on animals. Dogs often become anxious, shy and scared, and when they become closed off, it might steer people away.
Part of the caption reads: “…She is an incredible dog who is so loving, and it is breaking our hearts to see her waiting so long.”
Screenshots from a July 27 Instagram video of shelter dog during her first day (left) compared to day 716 (right). Paddy was finally adopted just short of her two-year anniversary of living at the shelter.
@cochranehumane/Instagram
Thankfully, the humane society’s social media plea helped connect Paddy to her forever family. She was adopted by a local family just days before she officially reached two years in the shelter on August 12.
Paddy now has an Instagram account, @rescuepaddy2024, where people can follow her journey with her new family in her new home. The photos show her smile has been restored. It looks even bigger than before as she’s experienced a tasty pup cup, going through training sessions and endless playtime.
Newsweek reached out to @cochranehumane via Instagram for additional comment.
Paddy’s story quickly amassed over 4.6 million views, 232,000 likes and 6,407 comments on Instagram as of Monday.
“Can’t believe no one adopted that dog for so long, it’s gorgeous,” commented a viewer.
One user wrote: “My heart. Poor thing, you can see that happiness drain out in the second shot of the dog.”
Another added: “The change is gut-wrenching.”
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