It’s always harder for senior dogs at shelters to get adopted. People often look for younger dogs that are more energetic.
A seven-year-old Shih Tzu who was originally named Simon, and later renamed Charlie, is an example of this. While seven isn’t too old, Charlie also had some physical challenges, which made it even harder for him to find a home.
Charlie had limited mobility because of his age and a potential injury.
The poor pup couldn’t walk up the stairs on his own, and the owner decided to return the pup to the shelter because they weren’t able to bend down to carry him everywhere.
In other words, Charlie was right back at square one.
It was clear that the Shih Tzu didn’t lead a happy and optimistic life at the shelter.
Even though the shelter crew did their best to keep Charlie busy and give him as much affection and attention as possible, the four-footer still felt lonely and depressed, and he needed more human interaction.
Charlie’s mood started to worsen soon. The small dog refused to make eye contact with anyone who passed by, even the shelter staff.
However, that all changed when one special person walked into the shelter and wanted to bond with him.
When Mackenzie Purdy first saw Charlie, she noticed that he wasn’t doing too well and was in urgent need of some tender loving care in a warm home.
She figured that the Shih Tzu just needed someone to feel comfortable with and that he would eventually break out of his shell.
Because she feared that other potential adopters might not see that in the poor pup, she wanted to spend some more time with him.
“He was a bit older and he walked a little funny, so I had a feeling that not many people would be interested in him,” Mackenzie said to The Dodo. “So many people won’t be interested in the dogs that don’t come to the front of the cage at the shelter.”
Charlie was still quite reserved and wasn’t too keen on bonding with Mackenzie at first.
“I asked the shelter staff if I could spend some time with him out in the yard,” she recalls. “He was very reserved, and not very interested in me. He did not show much in the way of affection, but he did do a very little tail wag when I walked closer to him.”
Mackenzie then had a great idea that would turn Charlie’s life around.
The kind young woman was determined to give Charlie a better life. Since bonding with him wasn’t going as quickly as she’d hoped, she decided to bring her other pup, Baxter, along the day after.
Baxter and Charlie hit it off right away.
Even though Charlie may not be as fast or as sturdy as Baxter, the large smile on his face speaks more than a thousand words.
“He has been adjusting well,” Mackenzie told. “My boyfriend and I have been taking him on short walks, and picking him up when we encounter steps. He is a very good boy. He is very quiet and goes with the flow.”
Before he was adopted, Charlie spent all his time staring at the wall and seemed to have lost his zest for life. Now, he’s amazingly happy and loves his family so much. What a happy ending.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
