Every child at the sanctum longs for a home, but for some, it’s a matter of life and death. In certain shelters, euthanasia lists exist, where those left unwanted face a tragic end.
However, in a heartwarming turn of events, one dog’s life was spared just in time when someone finally opened their heart to him.
Madeline Garvis, an advocate for BARC Sanctuary in Houston, recently encountered an 11-year-old dog named Bear. She described Bear as “one of the saddest souls I’ve ever met.”
According to The Dodo, Bear arrived at BARC in June under urgent circumstances. No one showed any interest in adopting him, and it seemed he had lost all hope.
Madeline shared on TikTok, “He wouldn’t even lift his head until I entered his kennel.”
With no potential adopters, Bear was placed on the shelter’s euthanasia list. It appeared that he, too, had given up, and he was on the verge of being put to sleep.
Madeline, sensing something special about the dejected old dog, decided to give him a break from the kennel. She wrote, “I wanted to see if he’d act differently outdoors.”
And he did. Once outside, Bear transformed. Though initially a bit startled, he soon began wagging his tail and sticking out his tongue. Madeline observed that he loved being outdoors, enjoyed affection, and even started to shake with excitement.
Speaking to The Dodo, she said, “Bear was wonderful—no complaints. He was calm, well-behaved on the leash, even though it was practically slipping off him, and he knew how to sit and shake. He was also heartworm-free.”
Madeline shared Bear’s story to highlight the importance of supporting vulnerable animals and volunteering. Without her compassion, no one would have realized what a gentle soul Bear truly was.
“We rarely get the chance to interact with the animals and see how different they are outside the shelter, as Bear so clearly demonstrated,” Madeline noted.
Thanks to that heartwarming transformation, Bear’s story had a happy ending. Just one hour before his scheduled euthanasia, he found his first home.
“He was one of 28 lives set to be lost that day,” Madeline told The Dodo. “It’s amazing that a dog like him ended up on the euthanasia list. He has the perfect personality—so calm and loving.”
