This Generous Boy Picked A Dog From The Rescue Shelter And His Choice Was Perfect

A kind young boy goes to the shelter just to choose an old dog despite all of its medical needs.

Mikayla

• Published in Animals
• March 30, 2018

Animals get left at shelters all the time, and while it's super sad sometimes it's their owners only option. This means all kinds of animals of all shapes and sizes are always looking for someone to adopt them into a forever home, and unfortunately, that includes old animals with medical issues. For example, in November 2017 a 14-year-old miniature poodle named Shey was left at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa because his family was moving, and they weren't taking him with them.

So for months after drop off Shey sat waiting for someone to come and adopt him but the sad truth is that older dogs and dogs with medical problems are less likely to be adopted, and Shey happens to fall into both of those categories. Not only had he never been neutered but he was also suffering from dental disease, only one of his teeth was not completely rotten. The rescue got him all set up for surgery and the vet care that he needed to be healthy. 

Poor Shey is deaf, half blind, completely toothless as well as being 14-years-old! Though he waited and waited, there wasn't exactly a line of people cueing up to adopt him...

And then, there was Tristan.

Tristan and his mum went to the shelter looking for a small dog who loved to cuddle and the staff new automatically that Shey would be the perfect dog for them. “Shey is super sweet and wants to be near people all the time,” Jessica Jorgenson, digital content coordinator for the rescue, said in an interview.

So the two were introduced...

Tristan and his mum took a seat, ready to meet their potential new friend. And just as you'd expect, the moment that Shey was placed in Tristan's lap the boy's face exploded with pure happiness. “Shey was very comfortable with Tristan from the beginning,” Jorgenson said. As as the staff talked about all of Shey's special needs Tristan listened to every word, wanting to know everything that would help him take the best care of Shey.

Tristan was instantly smitten.

“He understood that Shey couldn’t hear what was going on and might not be able to see things clearly, so he was very slow with his actions,” Jorgenson said. “He was just very respectful of what Shey could and couldn’t handle.” Tristan even pulled out his phone and started logging in future times for Shey's appointments and important vet visits. They sweet boy told shelter staff all about the special spot he had set up in his room for his new canine pal.

And suddenly Shey had a home!

“He was so mindful of Shey’s special needs,” Jorgenson added. “Tristan is very mature for his age and asked a ton of questions.” It was obvious to everyone that Tristan was responsible enough to have a dog for himself, and the fact that he chose to adopt a senior dog shows his openness to love, no matter what he's faced with.

Tristan and Shey love each other!

Tristan is making up for all the time Shey spent without a family as he shares plenty of love and cuddles with his new best friend.

It's the happy ending Shey deserves

“Shey is very content,” Jorgenson said. “Cuddling is his favorite thing in the world, and he snuggled right in with Tristan.” How cute are these two! Tristan definitely loves Shey more than anything else, and Shey is thankful for the second chance he now has to enjoy a forever home.

Mikayla