Hugging dogs saved from euthanasia by viral photo

[Baz]

Saw this on the news....poor babies....sometimes social media is a good thing....

Two dogs in a shelter, just hours away from being put to sleep, hugged their way to safety.

The dogs -- Kala and Keira -- were photographed hugging each other in a cage at an unnamed shelter. In the photo, Kala's brown front legs and paws are in a tight embrace around Keira's neck. Both dogs appear pensive and fearful, as if they know what's coming.



On Monday Angels Among Us Pet Rescue -- an Atlanta-area nonprofit that works to save dogs and cats from being euthanized in shelters -- put the picture on its Facebook page with the following caption:

"I'm Kala. This is Keira. We're so scared in here. The people working in the shelters see how scared we are but just told each other that today is our deadline. We have to have someone rescue us or we'll be "next." Keira is black and not a "real boxer," just a mix. She's so brave and tells me it will be okay no matter what happens. She tells me to be brave too but I don't know if I can be. Can you see our faces. Keira knows what will happen. You can see it in her eyes. She's putting on a brave face for sure but I can feel her heart beating fast while I'm clinging to her. If no one saves us, someone will take her away from me. I'll see her as she goes down the hallway. She won't come back and I'll cry. They'll come for me next and I won't be as brave. We've comforted each other while we were here. She gave me hope when I had none. Now it's over. Unless..."

Angels Among Us also shared the dogs' desperate plight: Shelter employees said Kala and Keira would be put down that day unless someone adopted them or offered to foster them. Angels Among Us pleaded with anyone who saw the post to step up and help.

"If you've ever wanted to foster but just couldn't quite decide, now is the time to say YES!!" Angels Among Us says in its post.

The photo immediately went viral, garnering thousands of shares and likes. It also yielded results. Just two hours after the photo was posted to Facebook, Angels Among Us said the dogs had been rescued and had left the shelter, on their way to see a vet and then on to a foster home.

A second, happier photo of Kala and Keira is now making its rounds on social media.



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[chapo]

Awesome, the more I learn about people the more I like dogs. We have three, down from five. I know, we are nuts. All rescues. Never bought a dog in my life, don't see the point.

[rusnak]

Geez, Baz would you stop with these posts? I want to save every stray dog that I see now, dang it!

[asphaltgambler]

Made my day today...........

[VaSteve]

Wow! What a story.

Baz posted a dog that ended up at my house so he can just keep posting.

[widgeon13]

Great story. Cute pups. I'd take one in a heartbeat.

[scottmandue]

Dogs hugging? Pfft!

[jhynesrockmtn]

Social media is making a big difference in dog and cat adoptions. The link below is to the organization I adopted my blind lab through. In my case, they are constantly looking at craigslist for people putting their dogs up for adoption. If they fit the old dog haven profile, they contact the owner and urge them to adopt the dog out through them. I dealt directly with the owner but only after being cleared through the non profit. They use facebook extensively to promote the dogs available. If the owner is ready to throw in the towel they will get the dog to a foster family while awaiting adoption. They find "permanent foster" placements for dogs that are at the end of their lives or medically really needy. Great group!

https://olddoghaven.org/

[Don Ro]

Great story, Baz.
That "TO THIS!!" photo is precious!

[sc_rufctr]

Thanks Baz.

[95avblm3]

Baz,

Thanks for the feel good post! I'm reading it as I look over at our two little rescues and think how lucky we (and they) are that the stars aligned and they came to live with us.

[dafischer]

Thanks, Baz. Great post! I had my wife read it in the office today, and I got a flick on the head for making her get a tear in her eye. Wonderful story....

[450knotOffice]

I saw this on FB. In fact, the ONLY stuff I follow on FB these days is dog rescue groups. It feels like a higher calling for me.

[aigel]

Very cool - I am glad they made it out. They look like happy healthy pooches.

I hope everyone realizes that dogs don't hug, right? That dog is trying to hump the other. It is a dominance behavior, often playful and can come from male and female dogs ...

At any rate, if that's what got them attention then it is fine. I just roll my eyes sometimes when people humanize animals. Dogs are amazing animals and our bond to them is very special, even if they don't have human traits.

G

Humping: Why Do Dogs Do It?

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by aigel

... even if they don't have human traits.

G

Perhaps so...but when I'm in bed and my gout is killing me and I cry out in excruciating pain my Poodle comes over and puts his nose on my cheek, in my neck. and tries to lie across my chest.
What would that be considered?

[aigel]

I hear you Don - I don't think it is human. But these guys can read us very well - they have been with us for 40k years. We have a very deep connection. My dogs read me better than I read them!

G