There are so many heartbreaking stories in the dog world that it can be overwhelming for true dog lovers to comprehend.
One such story involved a Husky who was brought to a shelter in Austin, Texas, with a severely wounded eye, and there was a significant risk that it couldn’t be saved. However, the incredible team at the shelter did everything in their power and eventually succeeded.
While this should have been a moment of celebration, the situation remained far from ideal. The Husky had to stay at the shelter, where he struggled emotionally and was not thriving in this lonely environment.
His emotional wounds ran far deeper than the physical ones, and the only true remedy was a happy ending, which sadly seemed out of reach for a long time.
He Was Losing Hope
Days, weeks, and months passed but no one seemed to want the poor Husky named Balto who was suffering in the shelter environment. Eventually, he developed separation anxiety, which complicated things even more.
The shelter staff of Austin Pets Alive! saw that things weren’t going in the right direction so they finally decided to react in order to save this poor dog. Luis Sanchez, a director of public relations and communications at Austin Pets Alive!, particularly got engaged.
“He was lovable, energetic and often overlooked simply because he was a husky with separation anxiety. After a short-lived sleepover stay, he ended up back at the shelter, where he was incredibly stressed and trying to chew out of his kennel. I called my wife and told her that I would probably show up with a dog later that day.” he told The Dodo.
Luis’s wife agreed to foster Balto in order to help him heal his deepest wounds. These people took him everywhere with them, and thus, helped him to relax and start trusting people again.
Aside from healing, their intention was also to help him become more visible to potential adopters, so Luis photographed and recorded him everywhere, eventually posting him on almost every social media platform.
Initially, there were no positive developments and they slowly started to lose hope. Yet, that was until one day when things suddenly changed.
Cutest Encounter
After so many social media posts and photos, Balto got on the radar of one loving family from New Braunfels, Texas.
Soon after Luis got an email from that family, he drove Balto to their place to meet them. As soon as they met, Luis knew that it was a happy ending.
“A few days later, I drove an hour out of town to visit the family’s home, and they fell in love. It was the cutest thing when their little daughter grabbed his leash and started giving him a tour of their home, saying, ‘This is my room; this is my parents’ room.’” Luis said.
That was one of the cutest encounters this man ever witnessed and also one of the happiest as the family soon after made the adoption official.
After almost eight months spent in the dark and lonely shelter where he went through a lot, Balto was finally where he and every other dog belonged — in a warm home with a loving family.
Thanks to good people who didn’t want to give up on him, this dog finally got the life he deserved!