Animal shelters aren’t forever homes. Even if the workers and volunteers are the most caring and sacrificial individuals around, they can’t split their time between the hundreds of dogs that need attention. Some of the hardest things to watch for those people is when they have a dog who isn’t going to be adopted soon.
Shelters are wonderful places of safety, but they sometimes struggle to find homes for needy dogs.
When people go to a shelter, they typically aren’t looking for the oldest and most medically needy dog there. People want puppies and young, energetic dogs to take home to their families. The older dogs often don’t have as much time left and would cost a lot to upkeep medically.
These old dogs often spend the rest of their lives at the shelter.
Sadly, a majority of the older dogs end up living out the rest of their days in a kennel, not able to be medically treated and with nobody to give them the love they desperately desire. It is a hard thing to watch – thankfully, there are people who care.
Sam and Brutus have been at a shelter for nearly half a year.
Sam had been at the shelter for 6 months and had been returned after someone tried to adopt him once. Brutus was surrendered to be euthanized and has been at the shelter for 5 months. The two senior dogs were at the end of their rope when Leslie Sacks showed up.
Leslie Sacks walked into the Asheville Humane Society and asked a shocking question.
Walking in, Leslie said:
‘Who’s the oldest that you have, the longest that has been here, who has been overlooked? I need that dog.'”
Soon after, she met Sam and Brutus. When she heard the sad stories of the shelter dogs, she knew that she was going to be going home with two that day.
Leslie decided that if she could adopt one, she could adopt two!
Her family had recently lost dogs of their own and wanted to give some other canine friends the best last years of their life.
“The dogs have wisdom and love, they have been through a lot. It really tugs at my heart that they are just sitting there, being overlooked and I can’t let them happen – we shouldn’t let that happen.”
They renamed Sam and Brutus to Bella and Bruno when they adopted them. New names for a new life, right?
The family also decided they would adopt two more dogs from the shelter.
Leslie and her daughter hope that their actions will inspire people to take a chance and adopt an older dog. They deserve to have the last years of their life be as happy as can be. With their story spreading, it is sure to make an impact with whoever hears it.
Leslie is leading the way with dog adoption.
Their family has adopted a total of 50 dogs over the years! If anyone can set the example for all of us, it is Leslie. Often, changing the world looks like changing someone’s world. Bella and Bruno have had theirs changed for the better.
Check out the video below!
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