A viral video of the moment a dog was returned to the shelter after a day trip has tugged at hearts online.
Shelter volunteer Julie Saraceno shared the bittersweet moment Russell hesitated at the shelter's front door, seemingly realizing his adventure had come to an end.
"I took him out for the day," Saraceno told Newsweek. "He seemed a little sad when we got back, because when I opened the front door for him to go back in, he did a little pause and didn't want to move forward."
Russell has been at the shelter since November 22, surrendered by his previous owner for the heartbreaking reason that the family didn't have "enough time." Despite his circumstances, Saraceno said Russell has remained a resilient and loving dog, flashing his signature smile even as he returned to the shelter.
Saraceno, a volunteer dog walker, has been running a new series on TikTok to showcase the dogs in a positive light, taking them out of their kennels for a day of fun and freedom. "I wanted to do something that had a more positive spin to it and wasn't just sad videos of the dogs in their kennels," she explained. The initiative has been remarkably successful so far. "All the dogs I've done this for have either been adopted or gone to a rescue," Saraceno added.
In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent when compared to 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.
Around 850,000 animals were euthanized in shelters in 2023, a rise of 15 percent when compared to 2022. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.
Russell's video has already amassed over 750,000 views on TikTok, with viewers flooding the comments with emotional responses.
"I could never work at a shelter, I'd end up taking them all home," one commenter wrote.
"And he still had a smile on his face. Precious baby," said another.
"I don't think I would be able to leave him omg," said another viewer. "I would be crying so hard."
While the video has drawn significant attention, Russell is still waiting for his forever home. A few interested adopters have emailed the shelter, but he is yet to be adopted.
Russell is currently adoptable at the Benton Franklin Humane Society in Kennewick, Washington, where he continues to wait for a family who can give him the love and time he deserves.
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