We all know that a shelter is not an ideal place for a dog. Unfortunately, more and more of our furry friends are forced to spend their days in the four walls of their kennels. This is sometimes the only solution but it is still so heartbreaking.
Yet, the saddest thing is the fact that people themselves are often responsible for such sad fates. Many owners do not understand the depth of a dog’s love for a human, and therefore, abandon their pets just like that, leaving a permanent scar on their hearts.
This was exactly the case with one senior dog who, due to the heartlessness of his owner, was forced to celebrate his first shelter birthday at the shelter in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
However, he did not forget to make a wish.
Everything Was Against Him
Many dogs experience difficult moments in their lives, so this fate did not bypass the eight-year-old dog, Red, either.
Namely, this pup came to the Mckamey Animal Center (MAC), a shelter located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in April 2023, but before that, he experienced some truly unpleasant things.
“Red was sadly abandoned by his former owner at a residence after they moved out,” Lauren Mann, director of advancement at the MAC, told Newsweek. “Our animal protection officers rescued him and brought him to MAC to find a new loving home.”
However, his troubles did not end there because there was no potential adopter in sight in the following days, weeks, and months. This was not a surprise since he is a senior dog, after all, but it was still very sad. Everything was somehow against him.
“He is an older dog, heartworm positive, is very high energy, and not good with cats. With the national sheltering crisis continuing into the worst it’s been yet, dogs like Red are being overlooked and forgotten in shelters,” Lauren said.
Despite everything, this dog did not lose hope, and thus, the smile did not leave his face. At the same time, the people at the shelter had no intention of giving up on him, so they decided to make one of his most heartbreaking days beautiful and happy.
Heartbreaking Milestone And Red’s Wish
During his time at the shelter, Red managed to make almost all the employees fall in love with his positive and outgoing demeanor. These people were amazed by the fact that he managed to keep a smile on his face despite everything he’d been through.
“Red is a wonderful, rough and tumble kind of guy! He plays with full bodied activity and will provide loads of entertainment for himself and some lucky family! He is affectionate but not needy. He absolutely loves playing with toys!” the shelter wrote in their Facebook post.
They also wrote that he is energetic and jumpy and that he loves other dogs. Despite all his positive traits, sadly, he still reached the heartbreaking milestone of 365 days in shelter.
Nevertheless, instead of despairing, the staff decided to turn that day into a celebration, so they made a symbolic shelter birthday cake for Red. On that day, Red made only one wish – to find a forever home.
So far, more than 400 days have passed and Red has not yet met his happy ending. However, his ninth birthday is coming soon, and there remains hope that his greatest wish will come true on that special day.
This amazing pup deserves nothing less.
