An animal shelter has shared footage of the heartbreaking reality of day-to-day life for one of its long-term dog residents.
For over a year now, Loic has been living in a shelter run by Animal Care España, Spaanse Honden In Nood, or ACE SHIN for short.
According to its website, ACE|SHIN was set up to "fight against the abuse and killing of neglected and abused (stray) dogs in southern Spain."
Killing stations or Perreras are of particular concern to ACE|SHIN. These Perreras were originally established by the Spanish government in an effort to curb the number of strays in the region.
Under the system, dogs caught on the street can end up in a Perrera where, if no one claims them within 10 days, they are euthanized.
While ACE|SHIN has been able to rescue many of the dogs that end up in Perreras, the charity has been forced to pay a fee for them as these facilities earn money for every dog killed.
Yet without this intervention, dogs like Loic would not be here today. "Loïc is a Spanish mastin, or mastiff, and is one of the many dogs we rescued from a killing station in the area," Gudrun Briat from ACE|SHIN told Newsweek. "He was going to be put down, we arrived just in time."
Since Loic was first encountered at a killing station, his rescuers didn't know a great deal about his life before, though Briat has some theories as to what may have happened to him.
"Many mastins are kept on a chain as a guarding dog, and when they get a bit older, people get rid of them," he said. Loic was thought to be around the age of 6 when they first came to his aid with Briat describing him as "badly neglected and miserable" when they met.
A physically imposing canine, Loic may have served as a guard dog in his previous life. But once he began to come out of his shell at the rescue, he proved himself to be the kindest of dogs.
"Loic is a big guy with a heart of gold," Briat said. "He is a quiet gentleman, very sweet and friendly, with a stable character and above all grateful. He is a typical Mastin: big, calm, expectant, a guarding dog but never exaggerated or unjustified."
Over time, he also emerged as a firm favorite among staff at the shelter, who looked forward to their daily interactions with the dog they dubbed the "gentle giant" of the gang.
"Loïc is loved by all of us," Briat said. "He likes to be cuddled, and as a mastin, he is very fond of 'his' people and domain. These dogs are very calm, but defend their family and home from strangers."
The only thing they would enjoy seeing more, however, is Loic getting adopted. Sadly, it has yet to happen with Loic left trying to make the best of things in the shelter. A video posted to ACE|SHIN's TikTok account chronicles an average day in the life of Loic.
Though it's clear he's well looked after and enjoys playtime with the staff there, the video also captures the unfortunate reality of shelter life, with Loic left on his own "waiting" for someone to take a chance on him.
Staying in a shelter for an extended period of time has been shown to be detrimental to the well-being of shelter dogs. A 2021 study published in the journal Animals which looked at characteristics of long-term shelter dogs identified "stress-related" behaviors among these dogs, suggesting they are struggling with life in these alien environments.
Though there is little to suggest Loic is struggling right now, the reality is that the longer he remains at the shelter, the more likely it is that being there will begin to take a toll.
"For big dogs his age (Loic is now 7) it is not easy to find a new home," Briat said. "But he deserves it so much."
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