There are plenty of people the world over who dream of getting a dog. That’s especially true when Christmas season rolls around.
Of course, it’s not difficult to see why. Dogs have earned their moniker as man’s best friend, and can be truly amazing companions if given a good home.
Sadly, there’s one thing some people simply fail to grasp: Dogs are family members, and must not be discarded simply because of a change of circumstance in the home.
One dog, named Wall-E, knows a thing or two about that …
Wall-E was adopted from the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelter in 2015. He was moved to a new home, one where he was overwhelmed with love and care. In short, he was given the life all dogs deserve.
Unfortunately, the dream would soon become a nightmare. One day in September, Wall-E watched on as all of his toys and bedding were packed into two plastic bags.
The 6-year-old couldn’t possibly have understood why all his things were taken to an unknown place, the Arizona animal shelter. He couldn’t possibly have fathomed why his owner stood and said goodbye to him with tears in his eyes.
Alone and afraid
The only thing Wall-E knew for sure was that he was alone. He became frightened and destitute.
Wall-E’s family could no longer take care of him as they once had, so gave him up to the shelter.
“He was surrendered by his family because they did not have enough time for him,” Jordan Bader, who runs a Facebook page for the adoptable dogs of MCACC, said to The Dodo.
“He was very scared. In his kennel, he would bark and bark.”
The shelter where Wall-E had ended up was cold and strange to him. He also went without his toys, for there was no room for them.
Depressed
Wall-E didn’t know why his family had abandoned him. Confused and lonely, he quickly fell into depression.
The dog sat alone in his cage, and refused to respond to people who tried to cheer him up. When people came looking to adopt, they passed Wall-E by, not giving him so much as a cursory glance.
The poor pup went two months without getting a new family. Staff at the shelter knew him for what he really was, however, and so were keen to see him passed to a loving, caring family.
One day, they hatched an idea. When Wall-E had first been left at the shelter, with all his toys and belongings, they’d taken a picture of him. They knew the image was enough to turn heads, and so decided to try and use it to tell his story on Facebook.
The results were more than they could have hoped for.
“We knew this picture would be heartbreaking and would get a lot of attention, but we had no idea it would blow up like it did. We had so many people interested in him,” Jordan Bader told The Dodo.
One of the people who saw the photo and knew she couldn’t ignore it was Lynn Lee. She went directly to the animal shelter to meet Wall-E, and the two got on like a house on fire.
At last, Wall-E was given a forever home that he can grow old in.
As you can see, he seems to like it!
Safe and sound
We think it’s so wonderful that Wall-E was given a second chance in life. We hope he has the peace of mind that all dogs deserve.
Just look how happy he is!
Animals simply can’t be treated like material objects, ones that you can throw away when you’re bored of them. Dogs are family members, and should be afforded the respect that comes with it.
Please share this article to remind people of the salient facts when it comes to owning a pet. No matter how many times we say it, some people continue to ignore!
