One of the most heartbreaking experiences is seeing a dog returned to a shelter after being adopted. This is because a dog’s face of sadness and disappointment will bring tears to your eyes.
There are many cases where this has happened, and unfortunately, it happened to the puppy in today’s story. Laura was brought back to the shelter not once, but twice, within the first seven months of her life.
That’s why Laura is determined to leave her best impression on her next family to return to. And that’s exactly what she did.
Third time’s the charm
sad dog in shelter
When a woman named Cristina Antonucci was browsing a pet rescue website, her attention stopped at Lola’s beautiful black and white face. Christina remembered her childhood English bull terrier mix and decided to meet the cute pup in person.
“I remember seeing her sad eyes in the photo and just knew I had to bring her home. She came in with her foster mum and she was just the sweetest little thing and just sat on my feet straight away and looked up at me,” Christina told The Dodo.
Lola’s first adoption, when she was just a small pup, was by a teenager who, naming her Gucci Rose, returned her to the shelter after some time. Her second adoption ended up the same way as the owner, who did not have any previous dog parent experiences, did not really know how to take care of her needs.
As soon as she heard about her unfortunate past, Christina’s mind was made up. She was determined to adopt this sweet pup and provide her with the home she deserved all along.
As soon as Lola got to her new home, she made sure to show Christina just how much she appreciated what she had done for her.
“The first night I brought her home, she just lay on top of me for hours just hugging me. I was surprised how quickly she warmed up to me as I had only really spent the drive home with her at that point. It was like she was just so grateful which is why I also knew that I couldn’t let her down,” stated Christina.
New Life
Unfortunately, all of her past experiences left a mark on Lola, so she ended up doing some things she wasn’t really supposed to do.
Luckily, her new parents understood her situation and were very patient with her from the start.
“We had challenges with her digging in the backyard and trying to get through the fence to play with the neighbor’s dog. It definitely tested our patience, but we knew that if we didn’t have the patience that no one else would,” she said.
Even through these hard times, Christina was grateful for Lola, as she had taught her very valuable life lessons.
“Lola has definitely taught me patience and persistence. You can’t just give up no matter the challenges. No one is perfect,” she added.
Luckily, her digging phase didn’t last long, as Lola switched her professions and became a back yard possum patroller instead.
Another thing that contributed to this change was the fact that she got a new baby brother, Lenny.
Lola was the happiest big sister ever knowing that she now has the cutest little companion to play with.
“They are now best of friends and all they do is play all day long. They have only been together for about a month and a half now but they just love each other. They even sleep on the same bed together,” she said.
Knowing that she succeeded in giving Lola a home where she could be happy and healthy made Christina very happy.
And, the little hiccups at the beginning made this so much sweeter.
“The highlight of my day is just coming home and spending time with her. She really does hold a special place in my heart,” Christina concluded.
