Texas rescue dog who sat in cage ’24/7′ finds new life

Unfortunately, not all dogs have an easy life and many end up in shelters, dreaming of their forever home.

One of those dogs was Luna, who spent more than nine months in a shelter in Texas, after being picked up as a pregnant, heartworm-positive stray.

Luna got her chance when Shellby Hall, 34, and Dominic Hall, 33, decided to move her out of the shelter, but her journey to recovery was only just beginning.

“Once we learned she had heartworm, we knew she had a long journey ahead of her,” Shellby Hall said. News week“so we decided to keep her in foster care for several months.”

In a video posted by Hall on Instagram, Hall writes that when they brought Luna home, “she was so used to sitting in a cage, staring at a wall almost 24/7, that When she first came to us, she would sit in our living room and stare at the wall.”

Shellby described Luna as “arrested and completely unsure of the outside world.”

“She was trying to jump on cars and was very shy on a leash,” she said. News week“She was also scared and unsure about the new dogs. After living in the shelter for almost a year, you can’t blame her. Shelters can do great work, but they are noisy environments , chaotic and stressful, and many dogs in shelters are often on alert at first because they don’t know who to trust.

About 6.3 million pets enter shelters in the United States each year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), “of which, approximately 3.1 million are dogs, and among them, 390,000 are euthanized.

The video shows Luna’s transformation from nervous rescue dog to energetic bon vivant after Hall decided to fully adopt her. She now enjoys playing in the snow, going to the lake, and taking naps on the couch with her two siblings, Piper and Jewels.

“She finally learned what it’s like to be a dog, to go on adventures, to buy new toys, to try all the delicious treats, and she learned that she can finally put down her guard and just enjoy life,” Hall said. “She’s always nervous meeting new dogs, but if we take it easy and introduce them slowly, she gets used to them and learns that new dogs can often be friendly and aren’t always a threat. Luna loves truly life and we couldn’t be happier that our foster family failed with our sweet daughter.”

As more people understand the importance of rescuing dogs rather than purchasing them from pet stores, the ASPCA estimates that the number of dogs entering U.S. shelters each year has declined from 3.9 million to 3.1 million since 2011.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that animal rescues and shelters are a key source of new pet acquisition, accounting for 40% of cats and 38% of dogs in 2020.

“I would absolutely recommend rescuing a dog,” Hall said. “There are so many amazing dogs in shelters or still living on the streets and all they want is a loving family and home. I will always be an advocate for rescue, I have met some of the most beautiful souls in my life through rescue, those who have suffered more than many, yet have kinder souls than most.”

Hall says her other rescue dog, Piper, helped save her life during the darkest days she had ever endured.

“I lost my little sister to suicide 12 years ago,” she revealed, “and I adopted my first dog, Piper, a little less than two months after she passed away. I knew that being there for the dogs and helping those in need, just like they helped me, was my life’s purpose.

“Overall, Luna and our other two dogs really helped save my life, they gave me a purpose, they showed me the importance of caring about others, often more than yourself . And I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without dogs.”

“Give her lots of love for me. She’s amazing,” one user commented on the Instagram video. “Thank you so much for loving Luna! God bless you abundantly,” said another.

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