All shelter dogs just want someone to take them home — and unfortunately for some it’s a matter of life and death. Some shelters have euthanasia lists, putting down unwanted dogs.
But one poor dog’s life was spared just in the nick of time, after he finally found someone to love him.
Madeline Garvis is a volunteer for the Houston-based shelter BARC. Recently she encountered a dog she called “one of the saddest dogs I’d ever seen,” an 11-year-old dog named Bear.
According to The Dodo, Bear arrived at BARC in June after being found as a stray. No one was interested in adopting him, and he appeared to have lost all hope.
“He wouldn’t even lift his head until I went 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 on the verge of being put to sleep.
But Madeline saw something in the dispirited old dog, and decided to give him some time outside the kennel. “I decided to see if he was different outside,” she wrote.
It turned out, he was. Despite being initially scared, Bear became a completely different dog, happily wagging his tail and sticking his tongue out. Madeline found out the dog knew how to shake, “loved being outside,” and “loved love.”
“Not a bad thing to say about Bear,” Madeline told The Dodo. “He’s leashed well, quiet, walked on leash so loose it was practically falling off of him, knew how to sit and shake, and is heartworm negative.”
Madeline shared Bear’s story as a reminder of the importance of adopting shelter dogs, and of the importance of volunteering. Without her caring, no one would’ve known what a good dog Bear was.
“We have such little opportunity to meet the dogs and see how they act outside, which is clearly so much different, as evidenced by Bear,” Madeline said.
And the story has a happy ending: thanks to that inspiring transformation outside, Bear found his forever home… an hour before he was set to be euthanized.
“He was one of 28 lives to be euthanized that day,” Madeline told The Dodo. “It’s unreal that a dog like him made it onto the euth list. His personality is perfect, and I mean truly — he’s so calm and friendly.”
What an amazing transformation. It’s hard to believe that’s the same dog who would barely lift his head up — it goes to show the impact a little love can have on a dog’s life.
We’re so glad Bear found a home and was saved from being euthanized! Share this inspiring story!