A 15-year-old dog named Cutie was surrendered at a shelter in Gardena, California, when her family told the shelter that they simply no longer had any time for her.
Very much a senior dog, Cutie was at a high risk of not being adopted again—and she was taken to Carson Shelter, where they euthanize animals. Thankfully,
a volunteer group that creates videos to help Carson shelter dogs find forever homes stepped in on behalf of Cutie; otherwise, her story might have ended very differently.
The volunteer group Saving Carson Shelter Dogs shared a video of Cutie after she was surrendered, depicting the sweet-tempered, but very old, pooch in her kennel, alone, looking confused and filled with sorrow after being abandoned by her family of over a decade.
“Cutie was surrendered today at 15 years old and the reason they gave was that they had no time for her anymore,”
wrote the Saving Carson Shelter Dogs Facebook group. “Well she is very special and she deserves to feel safe and loved.”
There have been increasing
efforts by many organizations to encourage people to adopt senior dogs. They are often already spayed or neutered, tend to come already trained in basic commands, and aren’t necessarily surrendered because they are “problem dogs,” as some people may believe. From older owners who struggle to care for their pets to families like Cutie’s who simply decide the dogs aren’t worth their time anymore, there are plenty of four-legged friends who have lived long lives already while still having plenty to offer new families.
Thankfully, someone recognized that with Cutie. She was
first rescued and sent to a “temporary home,” then found a forever home with a woman named Valerie Carroll in Anaheim, California. Carroll
shared a few pictures of Cutie—who was renamed Peggy when she was adopted—once she found her new home, commenting on a post by A Purposeful Rescue updating the world about the sweet-tempered dog to show just how well the new home was working out.
“She is gentle and sweet, and feeling so comfortable here!” wrote Carroll, offering up an extra picture of the kind pup lounging on a couch and happy as could be. It was a far cry from the photos shared at the shelter, where the older dog looked like she was just waiting for a familiar face to come back and take her home.
Peggy may not have had a happy ending to her life with her previous family, who seemingly didn’t recognize just how special their dog was when they left her at a shelter and never looked back. Had Carroll not delivered her from Carson, it could have been very sad indeed.
Thankfully, it didn’t end that way, and by the looks of things, her new home with her brand-new forever family is filled with love and affection.
