Skip to main content

This Shelter Dog Had Completely Given Up Hope, But Then Her Family Walked In


One year ago, Reddit user goldie0702 made everyone’s hearts swell with before and after photos titled “What a difference one day can make. Meet Spokey!”

The pictures showed a forlorn dog in a shelter, head hung low as though she’d simply given up, alongside the smiling post-adoption snapshot.

They received almost 1.7 million views.

Now that Spokey and her family have gotten to know each other, they decided it would only be right to share a little more of the story.

Spokey met her humans for the first time at the Maryland SPCA; she had been found in rural West Virginia twenty pounds underweight, and showed clear signs of having been a mom in the past. Her owner wrote:

We fell in love with her the minute we saw her, and returned to the SPCA every day until she was available for adoption.

When the new pup parents took their best friend home, it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. But with help from the shelter and so many amazingly supportive comments from Reddit users, they got Spokey to come out of her shell. The post read:

She is very calm-tempered, but is both mesmerized and terrified of vehicles as they drive past her. We are having some trouble getting her to eat and drink, but we are told that can be normal with rescue pups.

She got the hang of it pretty quickly, it seemed.
She sheds more than ANY dog I’ve ever had! And when its all over, she stares at me as though I have wronged generations of her family.

Source: Imgur

And don’t even get them started on the sleeping arrangements. Forget getting up to get a snack or use the bathroom—she will know, because this girl can’t snooze unless she’s touching someone.

Source: Imgur

Things worked out pretty well for Spokey, after a somewhat mysterious and difficult past. She proves to us that rescue dogs are miraculous in and of themselves, and the effort we put in makes us better people overall.


“Spokey is happiest, silliest, most loving dog I’ve ever had,” her human wrote. “[She] has made my life 100% better. I couldn’t be happier that she was brought into my life.”


Source: Imgur

Fast-forward one whole year with a loving family, and Spokey is a completely different dog. In fact, she’s sort of a drama queen.

“This is Spokey’s version of ‘spending time outdoors,'” her human wrote. “Nothing like enjoying a bright sunny day with a puffy doggy bed and all of her food and toys.”



Source: Imgur

The only time Spokey ever truly looks upset, her owner notes, is when she gets brushed.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

“I’m Not Leaving You, Mama!” This is What Love Looks Like.

UPDATE: Lizzie and Phantom are currently recovering in an outdoor koala ward within the  Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital . They’re doing swimmingly; Phantom is both gaining weight and exploring his temporary habitat. And of course, mama and baby are sharing more adorable cuddles! For most species in the animal kingdom, the bond between mother and baby is incredibly strong. That's pretty much inarguable. But last week, two koalas in Australia further proved it. After they were hit by a car, Lizzie and her joey, Phantom were welcomed into the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Six-month-old Phantom had escaped the accident unscathed. Lizzie, however, wasn’t looking so good, what with facial trauma and a collapsed lung. In order to survive, she needed to go under the surgeon’s knife. But this marsupial mama wasn’t alone during the life-saving procedure. Phantom accompanied her and clung to her as she received treatment. The vets let them be; Phantom was too y...
Read more

The Sound Of This Baby Rhino Wailing After Its Mother Was Killed By Poachers Will Haunt You

It’s one of the most sorrowful sounds you’ll ever hear, but it’s also a sad reality check for anyone who thinks protected species are safe from illegal poaching. In a video released this in July, a baby rhino named Davi cries for his mother after she was shot and killed by poachers. Most rhinos spend at least three years with their mothers before weaning,  the Dodo  reports, but Davi’s childhood was cut short at just 8 months old. The baby rhino stood close by his mother’s lifeless body until rescuers arrived. They fitted her with earplugs and a blindfold to calm his anxiety on the way to The Rhino Orphanage in South Africa. Source: YouTube/Terrence Daniels Davi huddles close to his mother’s dead body. It was there that Davi spent the night crying. “His calls for mom echoed deeply and urgently throughout the night, but two carers have been with him every step of the way,”  caretakers posted . “At least he is in good physical condition [and] has no injuries...
Read more

Speak out against the cruel dog meat trade

Much of the world sees dogs as their trusted companions, but in parts of Asia they suffer terribly as victims of the trade in dog meat for human consumption. In some Asian countries, dogs used for this industry are mostly stolen pets and they are sometimes tortured before being slaughtered. The dog meat trade is not only cruel, but is also linked to the spread of rabies and other diseases. HSI is working with local organizations in South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and India to sensitize the public about the harmful dog meat trade that thrives in these countries. We actively shut down farms in South Korea, assist farmers as they transition to more humane livelihoods, support our local Chinese partners in intercepting dog meat traders’ trucks, fund the care of confiscated and rescued animals and lobby for better laws throughout Asia. Take the pledge to fight the cruel dog meat trade >>> SIGN PETITION HERE <<<
Read more