Shelter Dog Thinks Her Day Out Is Over—But She’s In for the Best Surprise
A shelter dog taken out for a “dog day out” didn’t realize she wasn’t returning to the shelter—because she had persuaded a woman to adopt her.
Recently, Haleigh (TikTokker @haleighcw_xx) visited Burlington Animal Services to volunteer to give a shelter dog named Ruby a deserved day out of the shelter. Daily excursions help shelter dogs relax and take a break from the stressful shelter environment. After a fun day out, it was time to bring Ruby back. Haleigh shared a video of the car ride, which shows Ruby in the back seat with an inscrutable, slightly worried-looking expression. But what Ruby didn’t know was that Haleigh had decided to take her home forever. “She thinks I’m returning her to the shelter after her dog day out/sleepover. Little does she know I’m signing her adoption paperwork,” she says in the video.
Haleigh shared, “I knew as soon as I took her out of the shelter I wouldn’t be able to return this sweet baby. Welcome to the family, Ruby.” Haleigh also revealed that on her “dog day out,” Ruby “immediately curled up with me on the couch. [I] knew I couldn’t give her back.”
The video touched millions of viewers, with many clamoring to find out how Ruby responded to the news. Haleigh shared that Ruby “nearly yanked the leash from the worker’s hand coming back into the lobby when she realized she was going back home after getting microchipped/paperwork sorted.”
Now at her new home, Ruby is doing a lot of one thing—sleeping. “She’s still very shy and sleepy from her time at the shelter but she’s opened up so much in just 48 hours,” said Haleigh.
She added that Ruby makes sure she’s sleeping very close to her new mom. Haleigh noted in a follow-up video that Ruby is “always sleeping like she just got off a 12-hour shift or something (and half the time sleeping not even an inch away from me.)”
Haleigh attributes Ruby’s resting to having a rough time adjusting in the shelter: “She really didn’t take the shelter well based on her medical papers.” Haleigh also noted that when she takes Ruby out, she tires quickly. “Although she’s getting better and does give very clear signs when she’s done/ready to go home! So, I’ll take her somewhere for an hour or two and she’ll start to get grumpy lol.”
Many viewers agreed that Ruby is decompressing. One person commented, “She’s finally able to rest. You are her safe space, she sleeps because she knows you’re her home.”
Several other viewers noted it can sometimes take a shelter dog a few months to rest and recuperate, recommending anyone who adopts a shelter dog to be patient with them.
From the way Ruby cuddles close to Haleigh, it’s clear she’s not just resting, she knows she’s finally home.
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