Lonely shelter dog tucks himself in each night as he waits for new family

Growing old is a part of life and unfortunately, we can not skip that part. The good thing is that we have our family by our side as our hairs turn silver and grey.

But just how sad it is to grow old alone, having nobody to look after you as your body turns weak?

Well, it’s something this sweet old dog knew all too well.

Source: Jessica Lynn Howard/The Dodo

At one point, this senior dog could relate to the inescapable loneliness of the shelter life more than most. Thankfully, however, a lot has changed for this lovable pup.

Scooter is a 12-year-old Chihuahua, and things started to go up-side-down for him when his human died.

He ended up in a shelter for homeless animals. A big surprise, considering he thought he’d be at home for the rest of his life.

To ease the loneliness that he was feeling, he tried to comfort himself by grabbing his favorite blue blanket printed with white stars.

He then tucked his old, tiny body in it. Only his sweet, pitiful face and pointy ears could be seen peaking outside.

Source: Facebook/Humane Society of Branch County

His face looked worried – probably worrying whether there was still someone out there who would dare to adopt an old dog like him.

The people from the animal shelter had doubts, but they weren’t worried.

Scooter is a sweet and handsome senior dog but, despite all his charming characteristics, staff from the shelter still had doubts about whether a family would see the potential in him.

Source: Jessica Lynn Howard/The Dodo

“Scooter was 12 years old and had an old hip injury,” Jan Nageldinger, shelter manager at the Humane Society of Branch County told The Dodo.
Jan was afraid of the possibility of Scooter living the rest of his life in the shelter, but she wouldn’t let her fears keep them from taking the dog in.

“But we had the space … We never turn them away,” she continued.

The blue blanket must be Scooter’s lucky charm!

When they shared Scooter’s cute photo, they received an overwhelming amount of applications from potential adopters.

People then began writing to the shelter to show their desire to give Scooter a new home. And would you believe they also received adoption requests from other countries across the globe?

One of the many takers was Jessica Lynn Howard. She’s a frequent adopter of homeless dogs and, in fact, she has adopted two other Chihuahuas in the past.

“I saw Jan’s Facebook post, along with the rest of the world. My husband Tim and I were lying in bed and it … brought me to tears. Without hesitation, I showed Tim and I said, ‘I have to go get him,’” Howard told The Dodo.

Her husband immediately agreed and said, “Go get him.”

The following day, Howard jumped into her car and drove three hours to pick up the little dog herself.

Scooter was finally home!

“When we arrived home Scooter met his new pack and family immediately. It was amazing, everyone greeted him as if he was a long-lost friend of theirs; they truly acted as if he had always been here,” Howard said.
Jessica and her family live on a big farm, so having six dogs (including Scooter) was never an issue. They can wander all they want!

Since Scooter’s arrival, it’s clear he once again feels like he belongs to someone.

He became happier and his positive aura shone even brighter, compared to when he was in the shelter.

“He is super funny and acts goofy. He plays around like he’s a 2-year-old sometimes. But he’s also all about taking naps — with his blankie, of course. He absolutely loves my husband Tim and our son Braden. Our daughter Dalanie has a soft spot for him, too. He is beyond loved and maybe a little spoiled, too,” Howard narrated.

The funny thing is, though he’s left the shelter behind, the senior dog has kept his bedtime routine intact.

“When it’s bedtime … he still ‘tucks himself in. I’ve tried to tuck him in but he would rather do it himself. He has to get the covers just right. It’s really cute watching him,” Howard added.

Scooter saved not just himself, but also many unwanted senior dogs around the world.

“The good thing that came from this story was that people from … Italy, Puerto Rico, Canada, and many, many, many states across the U.S. contacted us … willing to take in Scooter. When Scooter had been adopted many of these people said that they were going to go to their local shelter and adopt a senior dog. So Scooter not only saved himself; I really believe that he saved the lives of other dogs all across the U.S. with his story,” Nageldinger said.

The Humane Society of Branch County is a no-kill shelter in Michigan. To find out how you can help a sweet senior dog or one of their many other rescues, visit them here.

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