One of the shelter volunteers saw a family come in to surrender their dog and couldn't
believe what she was seeing.
Staring back at her was an animal so full of emotion that it touched her deeply.
Indeed, the story was enough to move even the hardest of hearts.
The witness in question is Californian resident, Nancy Klein, who is a keen animal enthusiast
One of her favorite things was volunteering at Stanislaus Animal Services Agency because
she loves animals a lot!
And there she encountered a dog called Moses.
Moses, the pit bull, was only four years old, but he was already being surrendered by his
second family.
And while it's true that pit bulls do have a reputation for violence and aggression,
That type of behaviour is mostly due to their mistreatment by irresponsible owners.
However, it does mean that pit bulls like Moses find it harder to get homes.
And not only are they prevalent in shelters, but according to Saveable Rescue, they are
also the breed most frequently euthanized.
As Klein can attest though It's hard to see how anyone could give up a sweet dog like
Moses.
Klein described her touching meeting with the dog in a post on Facebook on January 23rd.
“Last night, as I was leaving the shelter at closing, this dog was being surrendered.”
She wrote.
And although it's a sad situation, it was the dog's reaction that touched Klein so deeply.
“The way he clung to his owner.
It's like he knew,” Klein said.
I had to catch my breath.
The scene was heart breaking and Klein had to ask Moses’s owners what was going on?
It transpired that Moses had been adopted from the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency
a year earlier.
However, the family was now moving and their new home wouldn't allow dogs.
Despite Moses being so gentle and affectionate, then his human owners felt they had to let
him go.
“I took out my phone and well, you could see for yourself,” Klein wrote.
Moses did indeed appear to know that something was wrong.
At one point, the poor pooch stood on his hind legs, placed a paw in his owner's hand
and looked like he was begging them to stay.
It was as if Moses knew his family was leaving him and he didn't want to let them go.
When that didn't work moreover, Moses looked for comfort from the other humans around him
and Klein was taken aback by his desperation for love in his time of need.
“He's one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met.”
Klein described.
“He immediately crawled in my lap as if to say, please take me with you.”
He wanted to meet everyone there, including the boy and his mom who were in the lobby.
My heart literally sank and it took everything in me not to just take him, she concluded,
hoping that Moses loving nature would get him a nice home.
Then Klein went online to tell the Pooch's story and even uploaded her video of the heart
branding, Goodbye!
Very soon a lot of people had heard Moses’s story and many also had opinions about his
surrender.
In fact, the family came under fire from animal lovers for leaving their dog at the shelter.
Despite Moses, at least being surrendered, the responsible way, many criticized his owner's
reasons.
Indeed, some even thought that the family should be reprimanded for their actions.
“People who surrender their pets due to new living quarters should never be allowed
to adopt pets again.”
One social media user wrote.
You can choose a new home that allows pets, period!
Other users were even less forgiving of the family, “humans that discard their animals
as if they are trash are horrible.”
Another person wrote.
“They don't deserve the kindness of an animal.”
However, some people think that without knowing the family's full circumstances, perhaps they
did what was right for Moses.
“Better to surrender than to be abusive.”
Someone replied to one of the family's critics.
Regardless of how they feel about Moses family though, the users all agreed on one thing.
Everyone wanted to see the touching story and happily for him.
And the good news was it did.
Klein posted an update, revealing that Moses had found a home with a loving family.
Yes, the adorable dog is now living with his new owners and is showered with affection
by their two children.
But Moses' situation isn't unique.
Indeed, there are many cases where surrendered dogs seem to know something's wrong.
So just how much are these poor pooches aware of, any dog owner will tell you that their
fur baby has a full range of emotions, not least love.
Moreover, research suggests that dogs do understand abandonment and surrender on some level.
Dog expert, Dr. Stanley Coren told ‘Psychology Today’ that the animals have an emotional
capacity on the same level as that of a two-and-a-half-year-old human child.
That means they're incapable of emotions that humans develop in later years, such as guilt,
contempt, pride, and shame.
However, it also means that they have a toddler's capability for love.
And if you've ever witnessed the emotions that a child has for their parents or siblings,
you'll know just how strong that bond can be.
Dr. Coren explains it best in his own words.
“The good news is that you can feel free to dress your dog in that silly costume for
a party.
He will not feel shame, regardless How ridiculous he looks” Coren wrote in the 2013 Psychology
Today piece.
But your dog can still feel love for you and contentment when you are around.
And is this not the very relationship we covet?
It is because of our dog's ability to sense and respond to human emotions that they are
often the first to notice when something may be wrong.