The feeling of rejection and abandonment can be painful. It hurts when a person, whom you believe loves you, stops caring about you. And apparently, animals feel the same way too.
In February 2016, a 6-year-old male pit bull and Labrador retriever mix named AJ was emotionally distressed when his owner surrendered him and his canine brother, Toby, to Carson Animal Shelter in California.
AJ and Toby were given up because their owner couldn’t afford to take care of them anymore. The betrayal left AJ heartbroken.
Being left behind—and alone—in the confined space of a shelter cage, AJ teared up.
AJ’s eyes went watery as the shelter staff filmed him lying on the bed of his temporary home.
The dog continued shedding tears of sadness even when staff offered him words of comfort.
This tear-jerking moment, caught on video, was uploaded on Saving Carson Shelter Dogs Facebook page with the caption, “AJ is 100% pure sweet, gentle, loving beauty, he loves other dogs and he is missing his brother.
“He is shutting down, he has a cold and he needs your help today. He is really special and he has a lifetime of love left to give. He needs a hero now and he would be so grateful. Please SHARE for his life, a FOSTER or Adopter would save him now. His brother is still in need too. Thanks!”
The heartrending video went viral, garnering over 5.8 million views and breaking the hearts of many social media users.
“Look at the sadness in those eyes. My heart is breaking for this poor boy and his brother. They need to be together,” one wrote.
Another commented, “Oh god, this broke my heart. AJ looks so bewildered and lost, and he’s sick as well. The poor boy.”
Fortunately, AJ is sad no more.
As AJ’s story made the rounds on the internet, some animal lovers stepped up to the plate and adopted both AJ and Toby.
Having AJ and Toby living in a new forever home together—it’s the best ending ever! Hopefully, the pair won’t ever experience abandonment again.
In another situation, a small, helpless dog was found crying inside a trash bin outside of a welcome center just off the Interstate 85 highway in Hartwell, Georgia.
The Georgia rescue center brought this small dog, later named Caroline, to the Lavonia Animal Hospital to get her the “medical attention and love she deserves.” She was then back to the rescue center and was being cared for.
After photos were taken of the tiny, brown pup, as well as the trash bin where she was dumped, they were posted online along with a caption telling her sad story. Since then, she has received a number of adoption requests.
Friends Read Free