In 2022, more than 100,000 cats and dogs entered shelters across Tennessee. [1] While we witnessed a spike in pet adoptions during the pandemic, now we are faced with the sad reality of shelters overflowing with abandoned pets.
Regardless of the reasons that led their owners to abandon them, none of them can ever be justified. Leaving pets behind without caring for what happens to them is downright cruel.
Our lovely pets deserve all the love and care in this world. The story of Oliver, a stray dog, is a quest for love and proof that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Meeting Oliver
In 2019, animal control officers found a dog in a yard of a family house in Memphis, Tennessee. They wanted to rescue him, but soon, they realized that trying to catch him would be very challenging. Every time they approached him, he jumped over the fence.
They ended up using a humane trap because that was the only way they could catch him and take him to Memphis Animal Services.
From the very first day at the center, it became clear that he had belonged to someone before. He was very friendly and he even sat for some volunteers.
“The more he got to know me, the more he would press himself up against the bars of his kennel to let me pet him,” said Katie Pemberton, community engagement specialist at Memphis Animal Services. It was clear that he missed people and the gentle touch of a human hand.
More Treats, Please
As soon as he arrived at the center, the volunteers served him food in a bowl.
“The very first night he got here, our field supervisor passed by his kennel in our ACO intake room and noticed him with his bowl in his mouth,” Pemberton said.
The same night, as he was passing by his kennel, one of the officers was surprised to see the dog picking up a food bowl in his mouth.
It was as if he was saying: “Please, sir… more,” just like the fictional character, Oliver Twist. That’s how he got his name. He kept using this trick to get more food and treats and it worked!
After he saw that his trick was effective and he got more treats, Oliver didn’t let go of his food bowl. Wherever he went, the food bowl was coming with him, too. It’s possible that he learned this trick while staying with his previous owners.
Rescue Mission
Although he was a very sweet dog, Oliver was put on the urgent list. Unfortunately, shelters euthanize some of their residents who can’t seem to find a home. He needed to find his forever family, and it had to be very soon because he didn’t have much time.
Having realized that his time was running out, the shelter volunteers took many photos of Oliver holding a food bowl in his mouth. As soon as Memphis Animal Services posted the cute photos, they went viral.
People fell in love with Oliver and his sweet habit.
The idea to post his photos proved to be a brilliant one because Oliver got adopted on the same day that a call for his adoption was posted.
Oliver still lives in Memphis, and he loves his food bowl. He’s bigger now, but he is still the same sweet dog we all fell in love with. He loves spending time outdoors and napping on the sofa.
He’s not very active on his Instagram account, but he occasionally posts a pic to let us know he’s doing very well.
Pogledajte ovu objavu na Instagramu.
References:
[1] Tennessean, N. N. A. (2021, July 3). Report: Tennessee has nearly 87% save rate for shelter dogs and cats. Nashville Tennessean.
