All shelter dogs want to be taken home. Unfortunately, for some, it is a matter of life and death. Some shelters have euthanasia lists, where unwanted dogs are put down.
But one poor dog’s life was spared just in time, after he finally found someone to love him.
Madeline Garvis is a volunteer for the Houston-based BARC shelter. She recently met a dog she called «one of the saddest dogs I’ve ever seen,» an 11-year-old named Bear.
Bear arrived at BARC in June after being found as a stray. No one wanted to adopt him, and he seemed to have lost all hope.
«He wouldn’t even look up until I walked into his kennel,» Madeline wrote on TikTok.
Since no one was interested in adopting Bear, and Bear seemed to have given up too, he ended up on the shelter’s euthanasia list. He was about to be put to sleep.
But Madeline saw something in the despondent old dog and decided to give him some time outside the kennel. «I decided to see if he was any different outside,» she wrote.
As it turned out, he was. Despite his initial fear, Bear became a completely different dog, happily wagging his tail and sticking his tongue out. Madeline discovered that the dog «loved being outside» and «loved love.»
«No bad things to say about Bear,» Madeline said. «He’s good on a leash, he’s calm.»
And the story has a happy ending: thanks to this inspiring transformation outside, Bear found his forever home… an hour before he was euthanized.
«He was one of 28 lives to be euthanized that day,» Madeline said. «It’s unreal that a dog like him ended up on the euthanasia list. His personality is perfect, he’s so calm and friendly.»
What an incredible transformation. It’s hard to believe that this is the same dog that was barely lifting his head. It just goes to show the impact a little love can have on a dog’s life.
We are so happy that Bear found a home and was saved from euthanasia!
