Only dogs truly understand what it feels like to be in a cold, dark place without the chance to experience human touch, let alone a hug or anything more.
Life in a shelter can be like that, and in some cases, even worse. Unfortunately, more and more of our furry friends are ending up in such places, and at times, it feels like there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
This seemed to be the case for one puppy who, at the very start of his life, had already moved between two shelters and had been returned by an adopter.
Nevertheless, good souls tried their best to show that there is always light at the end of even the darkest and longest tunnel.
Heartbreaking Fate
A puppy named Miley was only seven months old when she arrived at the Humane Society Of Broward County, an animal shelter located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
However, that was not her first shelter as she had already been in one. There, she was almost shut down by the harsh shelter environment, which could clearly be seen in her behavior.
It isn’t something unusual, however, because numerous studies have shown that a shelter environment can negatively impact dogs. According to ScienceDirect, spending even one day at a shelter increases the level of cortisol in canines.
That’s why it was no wonder that Miley was so scared and retreated to the corner of her kennel when someone passed by.
To make matters worse, her mistrust and fear were deepened by an adopter who returned her to the shelter after she chewed on his glasses — something every untrained puppy would do.
The situation was really difficult and Miley’s future was uncertain. Nevertheless, the good people at the shelter were determined to bring the smile back to this dog’s face.
One Video Changed Everything
The shelter employees and volunteers did everything to provide Miley with as much love and attention as possible.
She liked that and especially enjoyed their PAL program — which stands for Petting, Attention, and Love, where volunteers spend quality time with the dogs who live in this shelter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Miley also enjoyed going outside in the yard to play or walk, and that’s how she slowly started to get out of her shell and gain trust in people again. That was when the shelter staff realized that she was totally ready for a new chance.
To make her more visible to potential adopters, the staff came up with the idea to record a video about her and post it on social media. The video was a success and one of the videos posted on TikTok attracted a lot of attention.
@humanebroward The world is a scary place for her 🥺💔 Sweet puppy Miley doesn’t know how to cope with the stress of the shelter, so she hides at the back of her kennel to feel safe 🙏 She’s only 7-months-old, but she was already adopted and returned because she chewed on the adopters glasses 🥺 She was just being a puppy 😔 Even though we try our best to match adopters with our available pets, it doesn’t always work out as we hope 💔 Now Miley is back at the shelter and is more anxious and confused then ever 🥺 Miley is a very sweet and docile girl ❤️ She is curious and playful, and will need lots of healthy activities and chew toys at home. Miley likes children and other dogs, and would make a great addition to a loving and patient family ❤️ Won’t you help Miley find her new family? ❤️ If you cannot adopt, please share her post 🙏 To meet Miley, please fill out an application at www.humanebroward.com (link is in bio) and then come on in. The shelter located at 2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The adoption department opens daily at 11 a.m. If you have questions call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 ❤️ #rescuedog #shelterdog #adoptme #adoptdontshop #doglover #fortlauderdale #florida #dogreels #reels #muttsofinstagram #doglife #puppiesofinstagram #dogs #dogoftheday #dogsofinstagram #dogshelter #animalshelter #instadog #insta #instadaily #labmix #dog #puppy #labradorretriever #retrievermix #retriever #mutt ♬ original sound – Humane Society Broward County
“Miley is a very sweet and docile girl ❤️ She is curious and playful, and will need lots of healthy activities and chew toys at home. Miley likes children and other dogs, and would make a great addition to a loving and patient family ❤️,” shelter staff wrote in the caption of the video.
To their general delight, it was not long before the happiest news came — one family fell in love with Miley and decided to adopt her immediately. It was the happy ending that everyone at the shelter had been dreaming of for a long time.
From the shelter’s most scared dog, Miley blossomed into a beautiful flower becoming a sign of hope even in the most hopeless times.