When a dog named Baby was dropped off at Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, it was clear that the pittie was confused. Found wandering the streets of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the year-old pup was suddenly in a new environment, surrounded by strange people — and she didn’t like it.
She longed to find a safe place or go back to her home. And that’s when P.J. Regan, the shelter’s medical manager, snapped a photo.
“You could tell she was definitely nervous in the new environment and new surroundings,” Ashley Wolo, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter’s executive director, told The Dodo. “That picture of her looking out the window of the door kind of looks as if she was waiting for her owner to come through. It was heartbreaking, to say the least.”
At the shelter, Baby was vetted, dewormed and treated for fleas and ticks. And though she was feeling better, the stress of the kennel was causing her to shut down emotionally.
“There are so many other dogs in our kennel area, so there’s a lot of barking, it’s pretty loud and, of course, it’s stressful,” Wolo said. “When she was outside in our play area, she was a whole different dog. She loved to play, loved to run around. We got to see a different side of her and it was what a dog should be acting like.”
Shelter workers reached out to Pregnant Dog Rescue to see if they had space for Baby. The pittie got along with other dogs so well that they agreed to take her on the spot — but that didn’t last long.
After just a few short days, Baby was adopted along with another dog from the rescue. And her new family are head-over-heels for her.
“She has been a perfect pup from the moment we brought her home,” Baby’s adopters wrote in an email. “She has acted as if she’s been here the whole time. She has manners at mealtime and is excellent on a leash, too.”
“I work from home and she sits and sleeps on my feet so patiently while I’m working,” Baby’s family added. “There’s never been a sweeter dog.”
Baby has completely transformed in her new home. Now, the only time she stares longingly out a window is when she’s waiting for her loving family to come back home with a special treat for her.
