Dog ‘quivering with fear’ surrendered by family. Now, see Macaroni live her best life
A dog left “quivering with fear” as her family surrendered her at a California animal shelter now has a second chance at life in foster care, videos show.
Macaroni, a 1-year-old pug mix, was taken to a Los Angeles-area shelter by her family whose child was allergic to her, the HIT Living Foundation said in a Jan. 29 Instagram video.
Two foundation volunteers at the shelter were picking up another dog and noticed the family with Macaroni, who was wide-eyed and shaking with fear, the foundation said.
“One of the hardest things to witness in rescue is the moment a dog is being surrendered by their family,” the video says. “Macaroni cried and shook in our arms when she realized her family was leaving her.”
The volunteers realized Macaroni would do poorly in a shelter, many of which are overcrowded with insufficient staffing, Heather Crowe with HIT Living Foundation told McClatchy News.
“They are often lost amongst the hundreds of dogs aching for human touch and recognition,” Crowe said in an email. “Many of the dogs never leave their crates or kennels to be exercised and are not seen by the public.”
The two volunteers arranged with the family to immediately adopt Macaroni.
“We couldn’t say no to her sweet little face,” the video says as the video shows Macaroni trembling with fear and uncertainty on the ride to her new home.
After arriving at a volunteer’s home, Macaroni spent three hours trembling in a crate with an open door before she could be coaxed out, Crowe said.
“Macaroni had never been socialized nor had she met any other dogs,” she said. But Macaroni “blossomed” after arriving at a foster home with other dogs.
The initial video shows Macaroni adapting to life in foster care, running in a garden, rolling around on a couch and playing with other dogs.
“Given what she’s been through, Mac is still very unsure of new people,” the post said.
Many commenters on the video were angry at the family for surrendering Macaroni, but at least one replied that it’s not possible to know what other stresses the family may have faced.
Several asked about adopting Macaroni, and a similar post on TikTok sparked requests for an update.
Around Feb. 10, HIT Living Foundation posted a second video on Macaroni to TikTok, reporting that she’s thriving in her new home.
The video shows her playing with other dogs, going on morning coffee runs, playing dress-up and napping. Her foster family is in the process of adopting her.
“We’re so glad we came across you and got to give you the life you deserve,” the video says.
“Oh, this makes my heart so happy,” read one comment on the video.
The ASPCA estimates that about 6.3 million cats and dogs are surrendered annually at animal shelters in the United States.
This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Dog ‘quivering with fear’ surrendered by family. Now, see Macaroni live her best life."