The famous quote, “A dog is a man’s best friend,” has proven itself true countless times, yet humans still often act cruelly towards these wonderful creatures.
Many self-proclaimed dog lovers judge puppies based on their appearance, especially when adopting from a shelter.
This is precisely why Dutchess, a sweet dog with a heart of gold, desperately waited for her new family behind kennel doors, only to be disappointed time and again as people passed her by without giving her a chance to prove she’s worthy of love and affection.
A Waggy Tail Desperately Waiting For A Fairytale
Dutchess, a shelter dog, became a favorite at the Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) due to her playful nature and positive energy.
However, this wasn’t enough for her to get adopted by the people visiting OCAS for a new pet. All they saw were the cysts under her eyes.
As the organization shared in a Facebook post, no one even looked at Dutchess, let alone asked to take her home.
Those who did stop by her kennel made inappropriate comments and questions, such as:
- “She looks so ugly.”
- “What’s wrong with her?”
- “She’ll never get adopted.”
Fortunately, Dutchess didn’t understand human language, so these comments didn’t bother her. She remained optimistic every time a new face entered the shelter, thinking it might finally be her day to go to a forever home.
Although OCAS couldn’t find her a home, Dutchess was soon on her way with Rescue Dogs Dream, Inc. (RDD), who saw her story and couldn’t stand to see her left in the shelter for another day.
Foster Paradise
The smile on Dutchess’ face showed how much she enjoyed her time at the foster home.
Her foster parent did everything possible to make Dutchess’ stay pleasant, and both Dutchess and the RDD were extremely grateful.
RDD welcomed Dutchess with a Facebook post, sharing updates about her:
“We want to thank Chris Murphy for transporting her to us, and Beth Lord for fostering her. She is doing great and is so happy to be FREE. She scarfed down a McDonald’s cheeseburger and is making herself right at home.”
A Cute Duckling Turns Into A Beautiful Swan
Despite being adorable with the cysts under her eyes, a vet surgeon decided it would be best for Dutchess’ health to remove them and make her more comfortable.
While waiting for surgery, great news arrived – Dutchess found her forever home, or better to say, home found her.
More than ten applications for Dutchess’ adoption came in, a pleasant surprise for the RDD staff. It wasn’t difficult to find the perfect family for this lovely dog, as they mentioned in an update post:
“We can now announce we have found her PERFECT fit!! She will have a new Mom and Dad who treat their pups like kids. Dad works from home. They recently lost one of their fur babies and had been looking for the right fit.”
The surgery went well, and Dutchess recovered in a few days, surrounded by her new family, who gave her all the love and affection she needed.
Dutchess Turns Into Queen Lena
Dutchess’ new owners decided to rename her Lena, and given how well she was doing, it seemed she was promoted from duchess to queen.
She’s now enjoying life to the fullest with a loving family and a furry brother.
Lena is a miracle to her parents, who lost a pup just before meeting her, making Lena a true blessing for them.
According to the latest update, Lena is doing great. She gets along well with the other dog and is excelling in dog training:
“She graduated from a level one doggie training class and is signed up for level two and then a good canine citizen class. She’s so sweet, just loves to play and be around us all the time.”
Lena’s story had a happy ending, but many dogs in shelters are still waiting for their fairy tale.
In closing, I’d like to share part of the OCAS post – something all dog lovers should consider:
“So, come to the shelter with an open heart. Look inside every kennel. Look for Dutchess. Look for the ones no one wants. That’s how you save a life. That’s how you make a difference. That’s how you change the world for one.”
