One day, a Good Samaritan brought an abandoned black dog to an animal shelter. The dog, Rick, had been dumped from a car, and the shelter was already over capacity. Despite the circumstances, the shelter took him in, and he spent 67 days living in a crate for about 23 hours a day. A woman who’s a working mom and volunteer at the shelter learned about the dog’s plight. She overheard another volunteer saying how well-behaved the dog was, yet nobody had shown any interest in adopting him. The woman was surprised by this and decided to take matters into her own hands.
The woman had heard about “Black Dog Syndrome,” a phenomenon in which black dogs spend up to four times longer in shelters compared to other dogs. She couldn’t believe that no one had shown interest in this sweet dog, so she decided to foster Rick despite already having two dogs at home.
Before bringing Rick home, his new foster mom introduced him to her family and other pets. Everyone got along well, much to her surprise. However, during their first veterinarian visit, they discovered that he needed surgery on both of his legs. After the surgery, the dog underwent physical therapy and made a full recovery ahead of schedule.
The woman learned about the importance of decompression for shelter dogs – giving them space, time, and patience to adjust to their new environment. Rick’s previous foster family had returned him to the shelter after just one day, likely due to stress.
Rick’s new foster mom wanted to provide the dog with all the resources he needed to be his best self. He slept a lot at first but eventually became a perfect fit for their family. His lazy, couch-potato personality quickly emerged, and everyone adored him.
Rick became an integral part of Susan’s family. He was incredibly friendly, loved kids, and was not a jumpy dog. Rick walked well on a leash and was always eager to receive pets from anyone willing to give them.
The woman and her family have gained so much from having Rick in their lives. He brought them closer together through his unwavering love and loyalty. Rick’s story proves there’s no such thing as a broken dog. Shelter pups need our help! Consider fostering or adopting today.
