Woman Couldn’t Stop Thinking About A Shelter Dog On The Euthanasia List Who She Locked Eyes With
Madeline Smith has fostered 54 dogs over the years, always helping them heal before sending them off to loving forever homes. But one shelter dog named Maya changed everything.
At the end of a volunteer shift, Madeline was on her way out when something made her glance toward Maya’s kennel. The sweet dog immediately jumped up with a wagging tail and locked eyes with her as if pleading for a chance. Smith tried to move on, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Maya — especially after learning she had landed on the euthanasia list.
Even while out of town, Madeline rushed to save her. A fellow volunteer stepped in to temporarily foster Maya until Madeline returned home, where the pup instantly bonded with the entire family — including their dog Margot and cat Barry. As Maya recovered from heartworm treatment, she snuggled her way deeper and deeper into their hearts.
Madeline had always believed fostering meant letting go, but was in tears for weeks at the thought of having to give Maya up.
“My husband had to bear with me crying about it for weeks, and deep down, he knew I was never really at peace with letting her go,” Madeline told the Dodo. “I once told him that whether we kept her or sent her, I just wanted it to be his fault (lol), so he made the decision so I didn’t have to.”
What she didn’t know was that her husband had noted her despair and On Mother’s Day surprised her with the best gift imaginable: Maya’s adoption papers.
“He’s such a good man, and I’m so glad we have our Maya now!” she said.
Now officially their “foster fail,” Maya spends her days soaking up love, cuddling with her mom’s growing baby bump, and living the life she almost never got the chance to have.