After Ritter’s family lost their home, they were unable to provide care for him and his dog sibling, Corky. Despite the pain of having to let go of both dogs, they surrendered them to the Humane Society for Hamilton County in Indiana. From that moment on, poor Ritter was overwhelmed with sadness as he watched his family leave without him.
The Humane Society for Hamilton County’s marketing communications specialist Megan Bousley explained to The Dodo, “As with many dogs in this situation, he was fearful and brokenhearted. They simply cannot comprehend what has become of their family or why they are stranded in a strange and overwhelming environment.”
As he was confined to his kennel, Ritter’s agitation and confusion were palpable. He plastered himself against the wall with a forlorn gaze fixed on the floor below him.
Even though the shelter staff did all they could to show Ritter some love, nothing can ever compare to having a family and permanent residence.
According to Bousley, this pup has received plenty of tenderness and affection from the staff. Although he may be timid in his cage, once out of it, the joy that radiates off him is palpable. He loves nothing more than to play around and feel adored!
Ritter was overwhelmed with sadness at the shelter and it broke everyone’s hearts watching him. To find him a loving home, his photo was shared on Facebook, hoping that someone would see how special he is and take him in.
Ritter’s lovable face was shared all over social media, and within a blink of an eye, a woman just had to have him in her family – with the post garnering more than 3,000 shares!
For years, Sophie Spenia dreamt of bringing home a pup. She knew she’d want one on the bigger size when the time was right, and as soon as her first house was purchased, she began combing through the Humane Society for Hamilton County’s website and Facebook page each morning until something called out to her – Ritter’s heartbreaking photo convinced Sophie that he needed rescuing from there.
As soon as Ritter’s picture and details appeared on the internet that morning, I quickly contacted my sister to rescue him from the shelter. In a couple of hours, we saw his post going viral on Facebook. Without hesitation, I asked for permission from my boss to clock out and go save him – luckily he was an animal lover too! We arrived at the shelter shortly after and felt immensely relieved when we were able to get Ritter back home with us safely.
Spenia arrived at the shelter feeling apprehensive due to Ritter’s sorrow and distress upon losing his family. However, when he entered the room a spark of connection was ignited between them, and their relationship quickly blossomed.
As soon as he stepped into the visitor center, Spenia’s heart melted; love at first sight! He raced to her and placed his adorable head on her lap. Instantly she knew this pup was something special – there was no way around it – she had found her perfect dog and wasn’t about to let him go!
Spenia wasted no time applying to adopt Ritter, and on Thursday the joyous day arrived when she could take him home. He beamed with happiness during their ride back and is now happily adjusting to his new life in his forever home.
When Ritter initially arrived at the shelter, he was undoubtedly dejected. Fortunately for him though, not long after being welcomed into his new home by an incredible mom, it became apparent that his days of sadness had passed and he would be showered with love and joy forevermore.
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(h/t: thedodo)