Smokey joined a family as a young pup who provided him with numerous playthings. Yet it was a stuffed elephant with prominent ears that became his most cherished possession. Though he could have easily destroyed it within moments, he always treated it with remarkable tenderness. He even carried it during walks and nestled with it nightly.
He resided in a caring household until age five, when circumstances shifted dramatically.
Credit YouTube
His owner became unemployed, and financial hardship followed. They moved to a smaller residence, but expenses remained challenging. Providing food for Smokey became increasingly difficult. They attempted to find someone they knew who might care for him, but nobody could manage such a substantial dog.
When foreclosure became imminent, they intensified efforts to secure him a new home. Eventually, they confronted the reality that maintaining Smokey’s care was no longer feasible. With tremendous sorrow, they relinquished him to a shelter, leaving him with his treasured toy before saying their final farewell.
Smokey was devastated. His spirit completely crushed. After losing his family and adjusting to shelter conditions, Smokey developed acute anxiety. He showed no enthusiasm for engaging with shelter volunteers. He merely reclined in his enclosure corner, gripping his elephant in his mouth.
Credit YouTube
The shelter worked urgently to find him adoption as their capacity for housing animals was severely restricted. Images of him with his elephant garnered attention from prospective adopters, giving the shelter considerable optimism about his swift placement.
However, whenever a family arrived to connect with him, he would retreat to his corner. When they attempted approaching, his fear manifested as growling. Since he exhibited signs of defensive behavior, the shelter had to remove him from their “adoptable dogs” roster. Regrettably, this essentially placed him on a countdown, scheduled for euthanasia.
The shelter lacked resources to maintain a dog they couldn’t place. A deadline was established—adoption by that date or euthanasia would follow. But the shelter remained determined, unwilling to let Smokey perish.
Credit YouTube.
They began contacting rescue organizations that might accept Smokey. They recognized he would fare significantly better outside the tense shelter environment. Fortunately, I Have A Dream rescue intervened just in time. They committed to finding him an ideal foster situation and pledged extraordinary patience in securing his perfect permanent family.
Upon relocating to a foster home, his demeanor transformed completely. The anxiety he experienced at the shelter seemingly vanished. Suddenly, he displayed abundant energy and willingness to play. Sooner than anticipated, the rescue deemed him ready for adoption again.
Initially, they contacted his original family to determine if their situation had improved. Unfortunately, their financial circumstances remained unsuitable for reclaiming him. They expressed profound gratitude that he had escaped euthanasia and would have opportunity for a fulfilling existence.
See Smokey’s heartfelt story of hope below.
The images of him clutching his beloved plush elephant generated significant social media interest. Consequently, shortly after becoming officially available, Smokey, accompanied by his favorite stuffed companion, found himself welcomed into a wonderful new permanent home.
Facebook Comments