Dumped, turned away by rescues, and fostered in desperation, a stray dog's journey hits one final heartbreak when home isn't an option

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Oct 26, 2026 8:15 AM EDT

Now, often on these pages we share with you stories of puppers who have overcome incredible odds to find furever homes with families who love them for the rest of their lives no matter what. Investing hundreds if not thousands of their own hard earned money to make the magic happen. And while this story is not all too different it does have quite the different ending. It all began when this hooman came upon our pawdorable pupper in the street. Looking a mess, scared and skinny she scooped him up to make sure he would not get run over by passing traffic. From there she wanted to make sure he would be healthy enough to be harbored in her home until his owners were found. Sadly, this is where our first hurdle comes in, he was turned away from every shelter and rescue when his rescuer asked to have him vaccinated. The best response she got was that he could be surrendered to them and then vaccinated. A move which would ultimately cause far more pain than it would prevent which is how this pup ended up back in this hooman's house for the next few days. Things were going well and it even looked as though this would be his furever home.

That is until a fateful run in with the dog momma's hooman son who is on the spectrum. Being a little jumpy and scared of loud noises and sharp actions, our reduced doggo reacted a little sharply to one of his hooman sibling's outburst and this is where things get complicated. No one wants to give up on a dog for behavioral reasons, but when the trigger is unavoidable, well, you have to think what is best for everyone involved. The doggo didn't snap at the boy out of anger, solely out of fright. The boy didn't set out to scare the dog, he was only expressing what he had pent up in his body. No one was at fault, but at the same time no one could remain in the same situation. And so the difficult decision was made to give up the pup.

And while a kind and caring rescue was chosen to give the pup the best chance at life it could have, this story goes to show that doggo rescues can be far tougher, complex and complicated than we often get to share on this page. They depend on so many different elements all working together in synchronicity to harmonize and create masterpieces of fate-filled love. Something which so few of us will ever get to enjoy, and some of us who will enjoy it for a brief moment before it sadly slips through our hands. 
 

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  • 01
    "I really think he deserves a loving home."
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    Found this young male dog today near the border of Hallandale and Aventura. He followed me home, and I got him out of the street so he wouldn't get hit by a car. He seems young, probably around a year
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    old, and appears to be a pit bull/pit mix. He's very friendly and has been great so far. I've already had him scanned for a microchip twice, and unfortunately
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    Cheezburger Image 10672492800
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    he doesn't have one. I've also reported him as found through 24Petconnect. Trying to do the responsible thing has honestly been a ridiculously frustrating
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    experience. I took him to the Humane Society of Broward County because I wanted to get him vaccinated while I keep him safely at my house and look for his owner. Once I told them I had
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    just found him, they wouldn't vaccinate him because I'm not technically his owner. They sent me to Broward County Animal Care instead. Animal Care told me that if I surrendered
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    him, they would vaccinate him when they took him in-but because I'm willing to keep him at my house while looking for his owner, they won't vaccinate him. So apparently
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou

  • Erm, ok this is just plain weird and frustrating. These are organizations that are meant to want for nothing more than the health and happiness of a dog. Not to be interested in any way whether a dog is owned, surrendered or otherwise. Now sure there are more than enough canine scammers out there, but who in their right mind would try to scam someone over vaccinations for a dog who was so obviously dumped? No microchip, looking scared and skinny, this is not your typical dog that someone might try to pass off as some sort of sop story to get a few free vaccinations. 
     

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    Cheezburger Image 10672494080
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    surrendering a perfectly safe, friendly dog to an already-busy shelter gets him vaccinated, but volunteering to house and care for him means I can't get the same help.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    Even a local vet I called acknowledged how frustrating the situation is. At this point, I'm keeping him safe while I go through the required found-dog process and try to locate whoever he belongs to.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    If this is your dog or you recognize him, please DM me. I'll ask for some proof that he's yours (photos, identifying information, etc.) before releasing him.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    AIRWALK
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    After nearly three weeks of trying to locate his original owners, nobody ever came forward. We honestly considered keeping him ourselves because he's an absolute sweetheart. We even named him Dante.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou

  • This doggo is honestly do darn lucky to have had this hooman find him. In most other cases people would not have the wherewithal to fight for this pupper. But this dog momma knew just how bad the shelter system was and knew that taking a chance on her fami;ys health was less risky than taking a chance on this pupper getting emotionally scared by the system, negating it from ever being able to be adopted in the future. It happens to so many doggos and thankfully it has not happened to this little guy. So far…
     

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    He's incredibly affectionate, loves attention, wants to lick everybody, and will happily climb right into your lap like he's a little puppy. He also got along great with our other dog.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    Unfortunately, I have a son on the autism spectrum who sometimes makes sudden movements, loud noises, and unexpected gestures. The dog had a concerning reaction at one point, including growling and lunging toward him during an outburst.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    Nobody was hurt, but we ultimately decided that our household wasn't the safest fit for him. It was a really difficult decision because we genuinely grew attached to him.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    Dante and is now at Broward County Animal Care in, listed as A2481642 under the name Jetski. They estimate he's around 2 years old, weighs 50 pounds, and is an American Staffordshire Terrier.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    I really think he deserves a loving home with someone who can provide the right environment for him. If anyone is interested in adopting him, or knows someone who might be, please check out his listing or contact Broward Animal Care and reference his animal ID.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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    I just want to see this little guy get another chance. He's got so much love to give. I honestly cried giving up this dog but having a child with special needs, I had to make that decision.
    via ThatsMrSmeeToYou
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