Every single day spent in a shelter is torture for a dog. No matter how pet-friendly the environment may be, it can never replace the love and warmth they crave from their favorite person. Now, consider the unimaginable despair of a dog who has spent nearly four years in such a cold and lonely place—this is the harsh reality for many dogs today.
One such dog is Elle, who arrived at a shelter in Austin, Texas, nearly four years ago, in December. Over time, she lost hope of ever feeling the warmth of a loving home. Yet, one shelter employee who spent the most time with her refused to give up hope.
She Did Not Give Up On Her
During her time at Austin Pets Alive (APA!), Elle was initially quite nervous but quickly formed bonds with almost everyone at the shelter. She developed a special connection with Kaitlan Warmbrod, a dog behavior training supervisor, who recognized that Elle just needed someone to love.
“We clicked so quickly,” Kaitlan told The Dodo.
“When I first met her, it was during my initial days at APA!. We started by playing fetch and, when I went to leave, she felt sad and fell into my lap. Normally, she would take time to warm up to people, but she was immediately attached to me. After that, I became incredibly invested because I didn’t understand why she was in the shelter so long.”
Kaitlan dedicated herself to finding Elle the happiness she deserved. Eventually, her efforts bore fruit when someone noticed Elle and fell in love with her. The shelter staff anxiously awaited Elle’s departure, especially Kaitlan, who envisioned the happiness this would bring to the dog.
A Goodbye Party Full Of Emotions
A man named John was moved by Elle’s lengthy stay at the shelter. After seeing her in social media posts, he reached out to APA! and arranged a meeting. Following several visits where Elle could familiarize herself with him, he decided to foster her. While a permanent adoption would have been ideal, Kaitlan and the shelter staff were still thrilled and organized a heartfelt goodbye party for Elle, their long-term resident.
They anticipated Elle’s joy upon realizing it was her farewell party, but even they were unprepared for her exuberance—Elle didn’t just feel happy; she lost her mind out of sheer delight!
The highlight of the party was a peanut butter farewell cake, which made the joyful occasion even more special. After Elle’s departure from the shelter, Kaitlan and her colleagues believed they had reached peak happiness—until John called to announce he was officially on the foster-to-adopt track, hoping to make Elle a permanent part of his family!
