Family Dumped 17-Year-Old Dog At Shelter But She Still ‘Lit Up’ As People Walked By

Our dogs are our family. As they age, it is our job to give them the best golden years imaginable. But for one dog, named Betty, her family did the unthinkable. They drove her to a shelter and gave her up, writes ilovemydogsomuch

She wasn’t the average senior dog… she’s 17-years-old!

Most people do not want to adopt a senior dog as old as Betty, knowing they will not have much time with her. This is a tragic situation. Betty would remain in a shelter until she crossed the Rainbow Bridge unless someone stepped in. Thankfully Betty’s fate was about to change!

A woman named Belen had heard about Betty and raced over to the shelter. She immediately called her boyfriend Mark and asked if they could foster her. Mark couldn’t say no. He met Belen at the shelter and they took Betty home. Betty’s freedom ride was amazing. It was as if she knew she belonged with her new foster parents.

However, once they got home, Betty was a bit nervous. She wouldn’t eat and she walked around as if she had no idea what to do with herself. Belen and Mark were understandably concerned. Betty mustered up all her strength, with her arthritic legs, to pace around the house. She then hid behind a corner looking totally desperate.

Her new foster parents weren’t sure how to handle it but they wanted to give her as normal of a life as possible. They gave her a warm bath to calm her down. She wasn’t a huge fan but it was necessary. She smelled pretty bad from being in the shelter. Betty laid in the tub like a real champ and didn’t complain one bit.

Belen bought two beds for Betty. An orthopedic one that would accommodate her joints and a plushier bed that was really too small for her. If you know dogs, then you know which bed she chose. It didn’t matter if she didn’t fit perfectly. To her, the bed brought her the comfort she needed.

By the second day, Betty seemed a lot better. She was starting to accept these new humans in her life. Mark, in the video below, says that as the day went on, Betty began to really relax. As he says, “She lit up.” And she was all about letting her new dad pet her.

As the days went on, Betty settled in perfectly and a new routine formed. Around 6:30 am, she comes into her parents’ room and makes these little grunts. She’s not one to bark so this is her way of communicating. This is Betty’s way of telling her dad it’s time to get up to take her for a walk, which is the highlight of her day!

Betty’s foster parents had to make a tough decision. They received calls about potential adopters interested in Betty but at her age and with her past, they weren’t sure if introducing her to a new family at 17-years-old was the fair thing to do. They made the right call! They knew in reality that Betty only had a little time left and she belonged exactly where she was.

To see Betty’s full story, scroll on down. We are so grateful for people like Belen and Mark. Every dog deserves love, especially at the end of their life. Betty got all the love she could ever want and then some!