It’s never easy to leave your loved ones behind. I am one of those sappy people who will shed a tear when my parents are going away on their winter vacation. It’s something to do with how attached we are to someone that makes us humans react this way. So, imagine how it would feel if a family was taken away from his/her dog when a dog’s world only revolves around his/her human.
Something similar happened to 8-year-old Maverick, a German Shepherd. The only difference was that Maverick didn’t get separated from his family by mistake or after a mishap; the people that he lived with for so long decided that they didn’t want to keep him anymore, and so without notice, they dropped the pup off to the Carson Animal Shelter in Garden, California.
There was no understanding of what happened and why his family didn’t want him anymore; all we could see was that Maverick went from living in a nice home to a cage, and he was devastated. The canine didn’t want to look anyone at the shelter in the eye, that’s how upset he was. The shelter employees say that to call him “depressed” was an understatement. His behavior is valid given that he was with his family for so long and they decided to give him away without any thought about he would feel.
But, Maverick’s depressed state didn’t last too long. A family soon came to the shelter to look at possible dogs they can adopt; they wanted a new addition to their family. The moment this family laid eyes on Maverick, they knew that this was the dog they wanted. They looked at him and understood what he had been through, acknowledged his sadness, and wanted to give him a better life, again. They decided that they would give him the forever home that he deserves.
Then came the day that the family was ready to take him home. They take Maverick out of the kennel, and you can see the dog is scared and timid; it looks like he feels he did something wrong. But, the new family makes him feel welcome. They give him a new, bright red leash and pet him to make him feel comfortable and at ease.
They then walk away, as they lead their new pup into his new life. One that he deserves and will be happy to have.
Click on the link below and watch Maverick take off with his new family!