Tears of Joy: See the Moment a Golden Retriever Breaks Free from Shelter Life for a 2nd Chance at Happiness
Bonnie is a 6-year-old Golden Retriever mix who was found wandering a residential neighborhood. When she was found, she was wearing a collar and a choke chain. The shelter discovered she was microchipped, but the phone number was no longer in use, and no one ever came to get Bonnie. There has even been speculation that the people who claimed to have “found” Bonnie were her owners who didn’t want to own up to surrendering a dog.
Rocky often sits with dogs like Bonnie who are stressed in the shelter to give them company and comfort. When he met Bonnie, he saw a dog who was shut down and confused; she kept to herself in one corner of the kennel and ignored everything and everyone. Because she had been brought in as a stray, the shelter had to hold her for 10 days to see if anyone would claim her. Rocky could tell Bonnie wouldn’t adjust to shelter life and he made her two promises: first that she would never wear a chain again, and second, that he would come back for her if her owners didn’t turn up.
Keeping a Promise: Rocky Returns for Bonnie
Rocky was right, Bonnie just kept getting worse and was refusing to eat. When her hold period was up, Rocky kept his promise and returned to the shelter to pull her. Now, Bonnie is at Flip’s Farm, Rocky Kanaka’s small, peaceful animal sanctuary dedicated to rehabilitating dogs and finding them forever homes.
At Flip’s Farm, Bonnie will get the chance to decompress and start rebuilding her ability to trust. Bonnie was once someone’s beloved pet, but whether she was lost, dumped, or abandoned, she lost her whole world after arriving at the shelter. Without her family and in a new and terrifying environment, Bonnie couldn’t show her true personality—something that unfortunately makes it more likely for a dog to be selected for euthanasia at a high-kill shelter.
When Rocky promised he would come back for Bonnie, he was promising her life.
It hasn’t been long, but Bonnie is already starting to show her beautiful personality. If you’ve fallen in love with this sweet girl and her story you can learn more or apply to adopt Bonnie here.
Why Do Dogs Shut Down In Shelters?
No matter how outgoing a dog is, entering the shelter system can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful. Even the most social dogs can become shut down and unresponsive to toys, treats, and human affection. Shelters are full of foreign smells, the sounds of other scared dogs, new people, and other animals like cats.
When considering what dogs in animal shelters experience psychologically, it’s important to remember that all shelter dogs have experienced some sort of trauma, whether they were strays surviving on the street or confused former family pets whose humans are no longer with them. The combination of the shelter environment and their past experiences can cause serious emotional distress for dogs.
This is why you shouldn’t judge a shelter dog by their personality in the shelter. Dogs need days, weeks, and sometimes months to begin opening up and being their true selves after they are adopted. Lucky for Bonnie, she’ll get to show her true self to Rocky and the Flip’s Farm team to help them find her the perfect forever home.
