Although the mere thought of animal euthanasia terrifies all dog owners, it is a sad reality of many animals who end up in shelters.
According to a report in 2022, Texas had the highest number of shelter animals who were put down for the second year in a row. (1)
The intake rates have risen and the adoption rates have declined. (2)
Shelters became overcrowded. It’s heartbreaking to see that dogs who are sick and those who are considered less desirable find themselves on a euthanasia list in order to make room for other dogs.
Darla was one of the pups whose name was on that list. She was one of the lucky ones who got rescued at the last minute. Let’s see how it happened.
Frightened Darla
Darla, an adorable Golden Retriever, was a resident at Laredo Animal Care Services, a shelter in Laredo, Texas. The shelter employees described her as a very shy pup. She couldn’t get used to life in a shelter.
Due to overcrowding, the shelter made the difficult decision to put some animals to sleep. The pups who had lower chances of getting adopted ended up on the euthanasia list.
Sweet Darla was one of them.
In July 2023, the shelter staff tried to take Darla to a euthanasia room. When she realized where she was going, she got frightened. Her legs failed and she couldn’t walk.
The shelter staff carried her and put her in a wheelbarrow.
That day, members of Austin Pets Alive!, a non-profit organization that saves animals from euthanasia, were visiting the shelter. They came to the shelter to take some dogs with them and save their lives.
Clare Callison, the director of national operations at Austin Pets Alive!, was there that day, too.
“I knew it was around the time of day when the shelter does routine euthanasia for opening up kennel space,” she said.
As they walked down the hallway, a frightened Golden Retriever crouching in a blue wheelbarrow caught their eye. They learned that the scared pup was on her way to be put down.
Rescued At The Last Moment
The moment they saw her, they knew they had to rescue her.
“We had to pull her, we had to save her. We hope that she’s able to come out of her shell and be the happy puppy she deserves to be. It’s what every one of the pets in the shelter deserves, and that’s what we’re working so hard for,” Jordana Moerbe, APA!’s national shelter support director, said.
After talking to the shelter employees, Callison found out that Darla’s shyness was the only reason why she was scheduled to be put down.
Callison tenderly stroked her head, and she noticed that apart from being timid, Darla was open to love and she enjoyed her pets.
The APA! members took her to the vet, and she was given a thorough medical checkup. Darla’s rescuers found out that she was an eight-month-old puppy.
APA! asked their partners, Mile High Lab Mission, in Denver, Colorado, to take Darla in. In a short time, they found her a foster family who couldn’t wait to take her home.
Finding Love
As soon as she met her foster family, Darla wagged her tail… something she never did during her stay at the shelter. Finally, she could let go of her fears and let her family love her.
“She was a completely different dog now.” Callison said.
On August 9th, in 2023, the Mile High Lab Mission shared the happy news that Darla had been adopted. She now lives with a delightful family who loves her with all their heart. We wish her a life filled with love and immense happiness.
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Petrified Pup Clutches Stuffed Elephant For Comfort While Waiting To Be Euthanized
Smokey was adopted as a young puppy by a family who showered him with tons of toys. But it was a stuffed elephant with large ears that was his absolute favorite. Despite the fact that he could have easily torn it to shreds in minutes, he was always extremely gentle with it. He even took it with him on walks and slept with it every night
He lived in a loving home until he was five, but then everything changed.
His owner lost his job, and they started to struggle. They downsized their home, but it still wasn’t enough. It became difficult to keep Smokey fed. So they decided to see if anyone they knew would be able to take care of him. But no one was able to accommodate such a large dog.
Smokey was shattered. His heart was completely broken. After losing his people and having to adjust to life in the shelter, Smokey started to suffer from severe anxiety. He had no interest in playing or interacting with any of the shelter volunteers. He simply laid in the corner of his crate, clutching his elephant in his mouth.
The shelter scrambled to get him adopted as soon as they possibly could as accommodations for intaking animals were extremely limited. The photos of him with his elephant drew attention from potential adopters, and the shelter was extremely hopeful that he would be adopted soon.
The shelter didn’t have the space or ability to accommodate a dog that they couldn’t get adopted. So the date was set. He had to be adopted by then or he would be euthanized. But the shelter wasn’t going to give-up. They didn’t want Smokey to die.
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Heartwarming Tale: Adopted Dogs’ Touching Celebration of Grandmother’s 89th Birthday Melts Hearts Worldwide
Younger people, take note — this is what it looks like when someone is winning at life.
The other day, this big-hearted grandmother named Maria marked her 89th birthday at home in Brazil. But it was far from a fuddy-duddy sort of affair.
It was actually a celebration most people can only dream of.
Maria, you see, has many furry friends.
Grandma Maria shares her home with her daughter, her daughter’s family and a happy pack of adorable dogs — 10 in all. To them, Maria is the embodiment of kindness and love. And she makes sure all her dogs get plenty.
“The house is very busy!” Vitoria Abencoada, Maria’s daughter, told The Dodo. “She loves living with animals. She loves to cuddle with them.”
So, it only made sense that, when Maria’s birthday came along, all those pups would throw a party.
The dogs sat alongside Maria at the table as the celebration got underway. And no birthday would be complete, of course, without a birthday song.
Surrounded by so much love, Grandma Maria was radiant.
It was perfect:
“The dogs loved participating in Grandma’s party!” Abencoada said. “Here, they are treated as part of the family. They participate in everything.”
There was delicious food served as well — treats for people and more than a few for pups.
Over her many decades on Earth, Grandma Maria has no doubt experienced her fair share of joys and celebrations. Perhaps too many to even count.
But thanks to her love of animals — and their love for her — after 89 years, it just keeps getting better.
Today, pets offer companionship, emotional support, reduced feelings of loneliness, and reduced stress levels. It also contributes to high self-esteem and positive emotions, especially for children. And although many people enjoy the company of their dog or cat and would never think of getting rid of their pet, consider it a family member. However, in many cases coexistence between humans and animals is not always successful and in some cases the relationship does not work out, when the family is committed, adoption is their last resort.
There are various reasons why animals are abandoned on the street, some of these reasons are lack of time to give them adequate attention, economic hardship, unwanted litters, parenting issues. children, new family members or they lose their home.
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