When Pretty Girl’s owners brought home a new baby, they brought the dog they had had for 11 years to the shelter. They told the shelter in Central Washington that Pretty Girl had developed ongoing stress because of the baby, so they surrendered her. With the senior dog’s adoption prospects looking low at the shelter, the sweet pup was transferred to Seattle Humane through their Lifesaver Rescue transfer program for her second chance.
Brandon Macz, Seattle Humane’s PR & social media specialist, immediately noticed Pretty Girl was stressed but affectionate. He knew that after 11 years in one home, the dog was distraught and her stress wasn’t lessened by being at a shelter.
“Pretty Girl is sensitive to loud noises, so a new, crying baby in the home was pretty stressful – not that a bunch of strange, barking dogs in a shelter is any better,” he wrote on Seattle Humane‘s social media.
Macz knows that senior dogs have a harder time getting adopted, but he wanted to give Pretty Girl the best chance at finding a home so he posted a video of him comforting a confused and anxious Pretty Girl, hoping it would get the sweet senior some attention.
Here’s that video:
@seattlehumane Not everyone goes home forever #adoptme #animalshelter #seattle #seniordog #shelterdog #foryou #dogsoftiktok #adoptdontshop ♬ My Love Mine All Mine – Mitski
Here’s the Facebook version of the video in case you have difficulty viewing the TikTok version above.
Animal lovers responded to Pretty Girl’s story and the video quickly spread online. It took only four days for Pretty Girl to find a home with “a lovely older couple who could provide her with a calm, loving environment.”
Seattle Humane
“Pretty Girl didn’t jump into her adopters’ laps, but they understood she was still stressed out about being in a shelter after 11 years. We look forward to a bigger update in the future, but we know Pretty Girl needs time to relax and adjust to yet another new environment,” Seattle Humane shared. “Leaving the shelter is just the first step, and we wish her and her new people all the best!”
Her adopter updated everyone on Pretty Girl’s progress shortly after taking her home and wrote, “Update on Pretty Girl: she loves car rides, follows me around everywhere, is settling in. After a warm and cuddly night she is wagging her tail this morning and has eaten so I think she will be well settled in a few days.”
Pretty Girl’s new mom continued, “She likes full body contact and rolled on her back this morning for tummy scratches. She has a tender heart I think and will sit on my lap and put her head on my shoulder. So glad we got the opportunity to bring her home.”
“I hope more people come to shelters looking for older pets,” Macz told PEOPLE afterwards. We’re never lacking in kittens and puppies, but older pets need homes too. They know who they are, and you’re more likely to get what you see. Pretty Girl showed us a sweet dog who found herself in a strange and frightening situation but didn’t let it stop her from loving and trusting again. Every pet has a story, and it shouldn’t end in a shelter.”
To learn more about Seattle Humane and support their work, visit their website.
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