When a shelter volunteer came across a dog cowering in her kennel, she decided to investigate further and made a heartbreaking discovery.
Noemi LaMotte is a volunteer at Lancaster Animal Center in California and regularly posts about her encounters with the dogs there on TikTok under the handle @foursleepingdogs.
It’s there that LaMotte first shared the devastating video of new arrival Mable the 3-year-old dachshund poodle mix. Mable had been surrendered by her previous owner, due to housing issues, just 24 hours earlier and was struggling. “I was drawn to her when I passed by her kennel,” she told Newsweek. “I saw her flattened on the floor shaking because she was so scared.”
Despite the best efforts of staff, evidence suggests shelters trigger a measurable level of physiological stress in dogs.
A 2022 Scientific Reports study found significantly higher hair cortisol levels in a group of 52 dogs after spending six weeks in a shelter. The levels were higher than pre-shelter and post-adoption levels and indicated elevated long-term stress for the dogs involved.
Mable appeared to be struggling more than most of the dogs LaMotte had encountered in that kind of situation though, so she decided to do a little digging to find out why that might be the case. She soon found answers.
“She had just gotten there so she didn’t even have a kennel card up yet so I went in to look up her notes,” LaMotte said. “On the owner-surrender form it asks if your pet is ever left alone and, if so, for how many hours at a time. Her owner responded ‘never left alone.’”
Suddenly, Mable’s visible fear made sense. It wasn’t just being in the shelter, it was being away from the only family she had ever known. “When I read that I realized why she was in so much shock and so shut down because she had gone from being with her family 24/7 to being completely alone in a strange place.”
In the video posted to TikTok, LaMotte notes how “terrified” Mable appears of everything around her. It’s a heartbreaking thing for LaMotte to witness but sadly it’s also a familiar sight in the shelter. She posted the video online to draw attention to Mable’s situation. “Please help Mable find a new home,” the onscreen caption read.
The video got an encouraging response. “So heartbreaking,” one user wrote. “I pray someone finds this little dog and gives her a loving home.” A second said: “Oh Mable. I am so sorry you are experiencing this. TikTok will help find you a new home.” A third commented: “Sweet Mabel, you’re absolutely beautiful! You deserve a forever loving home.”
Though Mable anguish may have been evident on the video, the good news is that it was short-lived. Motte confirmed she has already been adopted.
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