Chicken the former rescue dog gives back, volunteering as an emotional support doggo to comfort nervous shelter animals

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Mar 7, 2025 2:00 PM EST

Most dogs dream of finding their furever home, but Chicken the emotional support dog has made it his mission to help others find theirs too. Chicken spends his days at Austin Pets Alive, comforting nervous shelter animals and making sure every new arrival feels welcome. He's basically the unofficial HR department for rescue pets, and he's probably better at his job than most office managers.

Chicken was once a shelter pup himself, so he gets it. He knows how scary it can be to end up in a new place surrounded by unfamiliar faces. That's why he makes it his purrsonal duty to offer snuggles, reassurance, and maybe even a little pep talk (especially when it comes to stairs). If you ask us, every shelter could use a Chicken on staff. Watch the adorable video of Chicken at work, and if your heart somehow doesn't melt, you might just be made of stone.

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  • Hi! I'm Chicken and I have a very important job.
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  • I go to work every day to provide emotional support to shelter puppies.
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  • 9 Some of them need me to stay calm so they can learn trust
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  • Some need a little extra confidence to go for their walks
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  • Some need help learning how to climb the stairs
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  • My childhood pup used to run up the stairs of our house and get stuck at the top. Multiple times a day, you would hear him upstairs barking, and you just knew he needed to be carried back down to the main floor. Can confirm: stairs are scary. We could've used a Chicken in our house. 

  • Some just need a gentle playmate
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  • And some are kittens. elem
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  • Paws for a moment and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusively silly cat content! 

  • עעע עעע עעע www ICICICI But they all benefit from a break from the shelter...
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  • and my calm, reassuring presence.
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  • I'm here to give them what they need before they move on to new homes
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  • It's hard work, but somebody's got to do it!
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  • Stay tuned to see who I help next!
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  • Watch Full Video Here

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wholesome dogs adorable heartwarming animal rescue cute doggo uplifting emotional support animal viral animal shelter Video animals
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