Everyone loves a good pet adoption story, especially seeing an older pet getting adopted. The older dogs in shelters are overlooked a lot of the time because families come in wanting a young dog to grow up with their children. It’s understandable in some ways but, the older dogs deserve loving families, too.
Fortunately for an older Chihuahua named Shorty, his adoption story went viral. GeoBeats Animals shared a video about the heartwarming story of a woman named Carlie and how she crossed paths with little Shorty.
Carlie went to PetSmart to pick up her mother’s foster dog. PetSmart was having an adoption event at the time and Shorty was a part of it, waiting patiently for a loving family to claim him. Adopting a dog was not on Carlie’s weekly list of to-dos, but when she walked past Shorty, she thought he was the cutest dog she has ever seen.
A couple of days later, she made a few calls to find out what rescue center had Shorty and found out that he had been with the same woman his whole life but unfortunately the woman had died. When Carlie officially adopted Shorty, he weighed 18 pounds from being overfed. A healthy weight for a Chihuahua is 4 to 6 pounds.
Carlie took Shorty to her vet to get a full exam and found out that he had hypothyroidism, which is an underactive thyroid condition. Carlie took matters into her own hands and helped shorty become healthy again.
Getting Shorty on medication and feeding him the proper amount of food got him to shed all his extra weight. Once Shorty was able to move better, Carlie was able to take him on walks, allowing him proper exercise.
The before and after picture of Shorty is a beautiful sight. He looks healthier and a lot happier. Carlie and Shorty had a very strong bond, she claims she felt closer to Shorty than any other dog.
In the summer of 2021, Shorty crossed the Rainbow Bridge to heaven. Carlie got three amazing years with him, making him happy, and healthy, and showing him all the love that he deserved.
If you are in the mood to shed a few tears, watch the video!
