Most people don’t realize how they can affect animals. Take Maverick, for example. He was totally affected by the decisions his owners made. It didn’t take long for people to notice that he was acting like a completely different dog. In fact, he was extremely depressed and refused to make eye contact. He was no longer peppy and cheerful either. But when he was led out of his kennel, he had no idea how much things would change.
Maverick had a nice life with a good home, and he was very happy. However, he wasn’t a young puppy anymore, but that didn’t matter. He was happy and it showed and he had a loving family. However, he hadn’t realized that his life was going to change drastically. Out of the blue, the life he had known would be taken from him. And all it took was one walk for things to take a dramatic turn.
As Maverick got older, his owners saw a change in him. He wasn’t the happy go-lucky dog they knew and loved. They also knew that as the dog got older, he would suffer from health complications. This made them wonder whether or not they were ready or even willing to handle an elderly Alsatian. But then, something happened, which forced the family to make a life-altering decision that affected Maverick.
One day, his owners started asking themselves what it would take to look after an aging dog, but what they learned was quite overwhelming. They discovered that cancer and incontinence were pretty common on aging German Shepherds. The treatment for cancer alone would be a financial burden for the entire family. So, they made a choice, but they had no idea how badly it was going to affect Maverick’s life and behavior.
Maverick’s owners realized that their dog just wasn’t as happy as he used to be, so they decided to get rid of him. Suddenly, Maverick’s entire life had been radically changed. The warm, loving home he was once a part of had been replaced by a cold kennel. It was too much for a dog like Maverick to accept. At first, he seemed okay. But things took a turn for the worse when he started to experience separation anxiety.
The staff at the shelter noticed Maverick’s change in attitude and they did their very best to help the pooch through the transition. The staff offered him plenty of kindness and head scratches, but the dog struggled. He couldn’t understand why he had ended up inside a kennel. Granted, the staff was nice and all, but he missed his human family. Then, one day, he was led to face a different situation that was life changing.
The kennel managers had noticed a change in Maverick, and it didn’t take them long to realize that he wasn’t handling the loss of his human family very well. When the dog realized what had happened, his attitude changed and he got very depressed. Maverick wasn’t the same dog anymore. But he didn’t realize that the kennel was just temporary. But when he finally saw where was going to go, his attitude changed drastically.
The staff knew they had to step it up when they saw how Maverick’s behavior had changed. The pooch needed a permanent home, so they started looking for one. They shared his story on social media over and over again and urged people to adopt the elderly dog. But they didn’t get as many responses as they had initially hoped for. But then, a couple stepped forward and surprised them. It remained to be seen if this couple had what Maverick needed.
The team hadn’t gotten as many responses as they had expected, and at one point, they wondered if anyone would ever adopt Maverick. After all, getting elderly dogs adopted wasn’t easy because people preferred a cute puppy instead of the medical problems of an aging dog. But the team didn’t give up. Then, one day, Maverick had some luck. But the team at the shelter were shocked when they found out where the couple was taking him.
Maverick was led out of the shelter, but as he walked out into the open, he did so with his head hanging low. It looked almost as though he was ashamed for doing something wrong. He avoided making eye contact even as the team led him to a woman. But his attitude began to change when she led him away from the shelter. The dog’s demeanor was radically different once he realized where it was that he was being taken to.
Despite the presence of his new owners, Maverick continued looking down. They tied a new leash on him and started walking him out of the shelter. Then, one of the women started to scratch his head and offer him words of encouragement. This was the attention that he had so desperately been craving. Maverick was then lifted into the truck shortly after being led to the parking lot. He soon realized he was on his way to a new, and hopefully, forever home.
Everyone noticed a change in Maverick as he headed into his new owners’ car. The head scratches he received made him very happy and he certainly didn’t mind laying down on the truck as they drove him towards his forever home. He even rewarded those around him with an incredible smile. It didn’t take a genius to realize that his newfound happiness was the result of the love he was getting. But Maverick’s happy ending wasn’t just for him.
Thanks to the shelter posting Maverick’s story, the pooch gained a huge following. The video was shared over and over and accrued over two hundred thousand views. The video that the team at the Carson Shelter put together allowed Maverick to get his fairy tale ending. This made the team realized how important social media was to their cause. So, they recorded more animal adoption videos, which led to something greater.
The shelter garnered more attention since people started following Maverick’s story. Eventually, the public began to realize how big of an impact they could actually make in the life of a dog. Pretty soon, the shelter saw an increase in adoptions. Now, a lot more dogs are getting the attention, love, and homes that they deserve. And they can all thank the shelter’s incredible team, and Maverick too.
Maverick’s story continues to attract people. No one really knows much about what happened to him after he was adopted. But the awareness he brought to others has given other dogs the chance to find a forever family. Ironically, he had arrived at the shelter feeling defeated. Then he left the shelter with a new outlook. Maverick has become an inspiration, and everyone can thank the shelter staff for that!