A Rewarding Experience
Animal shelters are filled with animals who are just looking for a home. All over the world, there are millions of dogs living shelters hoping to find a family.
Adopting a pet will often prove to be more rewarding than buying a puppy because you're giving the animal that was abandoned a new chance at a better life.
Harsh Reality
Sadly, there are millions of dogs and other animals living in shelters all over the world. In the U.S. only, the figures are alarming.
Believe it or not, nearly 6.5 million animals enter American animal shelters each year. Out of that number, 3.3 million are dogs while 3.2 million are cats.
Animal Adoption Saves Lives
This being said, adopting a pet is one of the most noble acts in the world. In fact, adopting a pet means saving a life, since most cats and dogs who live in shelters end up being euthanized.
In fact, did you know that nearly 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year in the U.S. alone? Even though the yearly amount of euthanized animals has been decreasing due to an increase in the animal adoption rate, it's still not enough!
Choosing A Pet
Many people think about what they want in a dog before going to adopt one. We are talking about things such as being cute, groomed or friendly.
However, you should know that this is not how you choose a pet from the shelter. This is what this lady would soon realize!
The Feeling You Get When You See Them
The way everyone chooses to adopt a dog from the shelter is not by looks, but by feeling. There are thousands of people who will tell you that it’s not you who choose the dog, but the dog chooses you!
People who have adopted a dog or any other pet always say that they realized which dog was the one after seeing them for the first time. Sort of like love at first sight, right?
An Inspiring Story
With that being said, here is the incredible story of a woman from the United States who decided to adopt a stray doggy.
What the woman didn't know is that the dog she picked to adopt would thank her in a very special way. And that happened right on the way home!
Choosing a Shy Pup
Most families choose cute and adorable pups that look friendly and playful. However, this woman wanted to give a chance to a shy pup that didn't want to come closer to her.
She thought he'd been through a lot, and that's when the people at the shelter explained how they had found him. The story will break your heart.
Starving On The Street
This little fella was found abandoned on the street, dehydrated and starving. Like most rescued animals, he was on the brink of death.
People called for help when they saw him chained to a fence. He was taken to the shelter, but weeks passed and they received no news on who his owner was. Also, none of the visitors seemed to want to pick him.
The Woman Decided She'd Take Him In
But the pooch would have better luck next time! One day, a woman who showed up at the shelter decided that the pup needed a home and she was ready to teach him to trust humans once again.
She knew she'd struggle to make him less scared, but she wasn't expecting to see him transform right before her eyes, minutes after she took him on his freedom ride...
Singing The Papers
The woman picked the adorable doggy from the shelter and as soon as she signed the papers, the dog started wagging its tail.
The dog knew he was going with someone who loved him and that only good things were going to come his way from then on.
Shy Doggy
Unfortunately, the dog that the woman adopted came from an abusive background. As you may imagine, many shelter dogs suffered not only abandonment but also physical abuse from their previous owners.
Unsurprisingly, many dogs who've gone through such traumatic experiences as a pup are left with psychological side effects. Many find it hard to trust humans again and they always flinch whenever they're approached by a person. But what about the dog from our story?
Terrified To The Core
This pooch was no exception to the rule. When the woman first tried to pat his head, the pooch looked terrified. In fact, he wouldn't stop trembling.
The woman, on the other hand, didn't know how to befriend him. She stood next to him for nearly 15 minutes, until the pooch caved in and let himself be lifted.
Step By Step
The woman was fully aware that winning over the dog's confidence would only be a matter of time. What was the next step? Taking him home.
She placed the dog in the front seat. During the ride home, the woman started talking to the dog and the way he responded brought her to tears.
Little Hug
The woman started talking to the doggy, and moments later, he put his little paws around her arm. She definitely did not see that coming!
Before she knew it, the dog was giving her a hug! Evidently, the pooch understood that the woman had just saved his life and he wanted to show his gratitude.
Safe In Her Arms
The girl wasn't expecting to win over the dog's trust so quickly. After all, only a few minutes ago, the dog couldn't stop trembling at the sight of her!
Taking this into account, the woman had initially expected the dog to be afraid of her, at least for the rest of the day, but gladly, this wasn't the case. The dog already felt safe in her arms.
A Touching Moment
This should come as no surprise, but the powerful emotional moment when the dog placed his paws and head on the woman's arm brought her to tears.
The dog understood that he had finally found a mother that actually cared about him, while the woman realized that a new bond had just been formed.
Life-Changing Moment
As we previously mentioned, the dog came from an abusive background. Nobody knew exactly what had happened to him, though.
But if there is something that we can be sure about, then it has to be the fact that from that moment, the dog's life changed for good. From now on, he would be safe.
Thanking His New Friend
Suddenly, the dog felt like cuddling with her owner, almost as if he were thanking the woman for saving his life. Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever heard?
The adorable pooch seemed to be super happy that someone had finally adopted him and he was doing everything he could to thank her. Isn't that amazing?
True Love
This little doggy deserves all the love in the world and his new owner is surely going to give it to him. What else can we ask for?
Destiny brought these two together and there is no doubt about that. Not just that, but the woman couldn't have been prouder of her decision of adopting such an adorable doggy.
Hard Life
The dog had lived a hard life until then, but luckily, everything would change. The dog would soon begin eating delicious treats every single day.
But most importantly, he would be loved, and this picture is a living proof! Look at him getting this confident and coming close for a smooch!
Saving A Life
Seeing how thankful this dog was to be adopted, we hope that many people realize that buying pets is not the way.
Adopting them is always the better choice because you will end up saving a life. That should be loud and clear by now!
Brave Dog
The owner said that she was amazed to see how friendly and comfortable the dog was around her. This was all she could've asked for!
When she had first heard that he came from an abusive background, she imagined he would have a difficult time adjusting to his new home, too. Luckily, this wasn't the case.
Belly Rubs
The dog's new owner couldn't wait to get home, so she started giving him belly rubs in the car. Can you guess what his reaction was?
That's right, you've guessed it! The dog started wagging his tail, and kept on doing so during the entire drive! Too cute to be true.
Going Viral
The woman who adopted the dog posted a video of him hugging her during the drive back home and just like you would expect it, the video went viral!
People on social media were amazed to see how thankful this adorable dog was. How can some people still believe that dogs don't have feelings?
Social Media
Before she knew it, everyone on Facebook started commenting the video. After all, it was only like the cutest video ever!
Some of the users' heartwarming comments are truly worth a read. One guy posted "This has to be the sweetest thing I've ever seen on Facebook", while another girl said "Thank you for saving the dog!"
She Couldn't Help It
As soon as they got home, the woman gave him some water and some food, and then fixed the pooch some pillows next to her bed.
Many vets say that it's best not to let your pets sleep in your bedroom, or else you'll spoil them, but she just couldn't help it!
Love And Affection
Also, the owner promised to give the dog belly rubs every single day. Her aim was for him to feel loved and forget about the time spent at the shelter.
Therefore, the first thing she did as soon as they arrived home was to play around with him and pet his head and scratch his tummy! The pooch sure had a blast.
Running In The Backyard
You probably know that newly adopted pups shouldn't spend time out in the garden, much less in the streets, at least until they receive all the vaccines they need. However, this wasn't the case: this pooch was old enough to roam around the woman's backyard!
Therefore, the woman decided to run around for a bit in her own yard. The pooch had the time of his life, as he ran non-stop until he finally decided it was time for a nap.
Having Fun At The Park
But the following day, the woman decided it was time to take things one step further. She thought it would be a good idea to take her dog to the park that was just a four-minute walk from home.
The owner wanted her pooch to be free and make new friends with the other doggies. As you can see, she was willing to go to great lengths for her dog to be happy, aware that living in the shelter couldn't have been easy for him.
He Had His Own Couch
Even though she let the pooch sleep in her bedroom during the first few days, she then bought him a comfortable bed shaped like a donut.
So, sooner than later, our favorite corgi began sleeping in the living room, and even though he has his own bed on the floor, he sometimes sleeps on the couch!
Good Times
Good times are coming for this adorable doggy and there's no doubt about that. Let's just hope that he can make new friends at the park so that he can feel loved everywhere he goes!
In fact, before he knew it, he made friends with a couple of dogs from his block! Every week, a Russel Terrier would show up at the woman's front lawn just to play with him!
Another Touching Story
But this is not the only moving story about Corgis being adopted that we have in store for you! A few months ago, this woman named Lia Domingo was planning on adopting a pit bull named Peety at the Augusta Animal Services Shelter.
But as soon as she arrived, the shelter's director Deborah Kirkland asked Deborah if she was also willing to rescue a 1-year-old dog corgi that went by the name Penny.
She Couldn't Say No
She wasn't planning on taking in two dogs, but when she met Penny, she realized she couldn't say no. She was just too cute and looked desperate for love!
> "She [Kirkland] heard that there was a dog named Penny with a hurt eye, and none of the local rescues had any interest in helping her", Deborah said.
Unexpected Call
Deborah was easily convinced, so she agreed on taking both dogs home. But just as she was heading back to her home - which was nearly a 2-hour drive from Augusta - she received an unexpected call.
It turned out that the pit bull's previous owners had called the shelter to claim back the dog. Therefore, Deborah was left with no choice but to take Peety back to the shelter. But what about Penny?
Dead Scared
Deborah was left with no choice but to return Peety. But as soon as she arrived at the shelter once again, Penny the corgi started trembling! It seemed that she thought she would be dropped off at the shelter once again.
However, when Deborah headed back with Penny to her car, right after handing in the pit bull, the pooch began jumping around in excitement. She was just so relieved that she had finally found a new parent!
A Bear Hug
Once they got inside the car, Penny immediately leapt into Deborah's arms, much like in our first story. Take a look at the picture below: doesn't it seem as if the pooch were trying to hug her?
Deborah couldn't stop thinking about how terrified Penny was when she first saw her in the cage. "Now, she was a totally different dog,” Domingo said. “She just wanted to hug me. She even wagged her tail. And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s me", she added.
Friends Forever
Penny gained confidence in her new owner in no time. "I had to drive with one hand because she would whine, like she was saying, ’Pet me, pet me,’” Domingo said.
Luckily, it all turned out for the best for Penny. She found a new home, and saw in Deborah a new everlasting friend. What else could she possibly ask for?
Happy Ending
Both our corgi stories had a happy ending, but unfortunately, this is not the case for all dogs who make it to the shelter, not to mention the ones who live in the streets or out in the wild.
This is why, one last time, we encourage everyone to adopt pets instead of purchasing them at a store. Saving another animal's life is truly one of the most rewarding feelings you'll ever experience!