By Jack BeresfordShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA rescue dog has been left heartbroken after being surrendered to a shelter, six years after she was adopted, due to circumstances beyond her control.
Roxy arrived at the Hotel for Homeless Dogs (HFHD), an animal rescue in Rhode Island, earlier this year. It wasn’t her first time in an animal shelter. The first occasion was six years ago and was thankfully brief. “Roxy originally came into care in Georgia as a puppy, where she was adopted shortly after arriving,” Savannah Joseph from HFHD told Newsweek.
For six years, Roxy knew what it was like to be part of a loving, happy home. Sadly, it did not last. “She was recently returned to the rescue after her owner sadly passed away,” Joseph said.
There is still debate over whether dogs truly mourn the death of a human. Psychologist and canine researcher Stanley Coren suggested in a piece for the American Psychological Association that dogs have a level of intelligence on a par with a child around the age of two.
Most children at that age have yet to fully comprehend what death is. But even if dogs don’t fully comprehend what is happening, the changes brought about as a result can be destabilizing.
Russell Hartstein, a certified behaviorist and dog trainer, told the American Kennel Club: “When an owner passes away before her pet, it can be a confusing, sad, and difficult period, even if arrangements have been made for the animal to be taken care of by someone else.”
In a video posted to TikTok under the handle @hotelforhomelessdogs, the shelter offered a glimpse of Roxy in her kennel. She appears nervous and confused by her new surroundings, which are a world away from the happy home she once knew.
...Though it makes for a heartbreaking watch, the good news is that steps have already been taken to help Roxy through this difficult time. “She has been placed in a loving foster home, where she’s doing very well and adjusting beautifully,” Joseph said. “She absolutely thrives with companionship and structure, so being in a foster home has helped her feel safe and supported.”
A foster stay often provides an opportunity for rescuers to get a clearer idea of a dog’s personality and the kind of home they would be best suited to. Roxy’s foster stay has certainly provided that. “She’s a sweet, social girl who enjoys both people and other dogs,” Joseph said.
But, after already ending up in the shelter twice before, both times through no fault of her own, everyone at HFHD is determined to make sure the next time she heads off for a new life in a new forever home, it truly is forever.
After so many setbacks in her young life already, it’s the least she deserves and something Joseph and everyone at HFHD is determined to help her find. “Roxy would do best in a home with another friendly pup and a family who can give her plenty of love and attention,” Joseph said. “She’s ready for her true forever home.”
Anyone wishing to foster or adopt Roxy is encouraged to contact the shelter directly.
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