There are so many dogs in shelters just waiting for their forever home. It can be a lonely place, and without any family to give them love they have to find their own comfort.
One photo showed the heartbreaking ritual one shelter dog went through every night—an image that won hearts all over the internet and led to him finally getting a happy ending.
A tiny chihuahua named Scooter ended up at the Humane Society of Branch County, a no-kill shelter in Michigan, for a heartbreaking reason: his owner passed away, and there was no one to take him in.
Suddenly he was uprooted from his old familiar life, living in a shelter. Even worse, Scooter was 12 years old and had a hip injury: senior dogs and dogs with disabilities tend to have a harder time finding homes.
Workers feared Scooter would spend the rest of his life in the shelter. But as he waited for someone to come along and give him a home, Scooter found a way to comfort himself every night:
He tucked himself into bed.
Scooter loved the comfort of his little dog bed and his blankets, but with no family to tuck him in at night he learned to do it on his own.
The shelter found wrapped up in his blanket one night and took a photo. They posted it online, hoping that maybe someone would be moved by his story.
People immediately fell in love. The photo went viral with over 3.5 thousand shares on Facebook… and miraculously, it was seen by just the right person.
Jessica Lynn Howard, who had previously rescued two other chihahuas from the shelter, saw the photo and was moved to tears.
“My husband Tim and I were lying in bed and it … brought me to tears,” Jessica told The Dodo. “Without hesitation I showed Tim and I said, ‘I have to go get him.'”
“When we arrived home Scooter met his new pack and family immediately,” Jessica said. “It was amazing, everyone greeted him as if he was a long-lost friend of theirs; they truly acted as if he had always been here.”
Scooter finally had a loving forever home. But while he finally had a family to tuck him in at night, some old habits die hard: Jessica says he still does it all on his own.
“When it’s bedtime … he still ‘tucks himself in,'” she said. “I’ve tried to tuck him in but he would rather do it himself. He has to get the covers just right. It’s really cute watching him.”
Jessica hopes the story inspires more people to adopt, and says it shows how a powerful image and story can go a long way in getting a dog adopted.
“If Scooter’s story can help inspire someone to adopt or to donate to the Humane Society of Branch County or their local shelter,” She told The Dodo. “It shows what one little senior dog can do.”
“He moved an entire world with just a single post! That is beyond amazing.”
We’re so glad this poor chihuahua finally has a forever home! Share this amazing story!
