Dog Has the Happiest Face As She Leaves Shelter With Foster Family: 'Loved'

This rescue dog could barely contain her delight after being taken in by a foster family.

Addie was in bad shape when she first arrived at the Suncoast Animal League shelter in Palm Harbour, Florida, back in early August.

"Addie originally came to us from a small, rural shelter in the center of the state, Highlands County Animal Services," Annette Dettloff, the co-founder and director of Suncoast Animal League, told Newsweek.

"They were overly crowded and asked for our help," executive director Rick Caboudy added. "Addie was positive for heartworms but she has completed her treatment and is doing well."

Finding someone to take care of a rescue animal is no easy feat. According to a 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science, shelter dogs have the tiniest of windows in which to impress a prospective owner.

Based on a series of adopter-dog interactions at shelters across the U.S., the study found the majority of visitors tend to interact with just one dog during their visit—and these interactions last an average of just eight minutes.

But while dogs like Addie would normally have longer to find somewhere to stay, in this instance the Suncoast Animal League shelter was facing a race against time to temporarily rehome their residence before Hurricane Idalia arrived in Florida.

Though that wouldn't necessarily be a problem for many of the dogs staying with them, Dettloff feared the worst for Addie.

"Addie is dog-selective so we braced ourselves for not being able to get her into a foster home ahead of Hurricane Idalia's landfall," she said. "Our shelter was built in 1920, so when a hurricane heads towards Florida, even if it won't be a direct hit to our area we must evacuate all the animals."

They needed a foster carer and they needed one fast. Unfortunately, the statistics were not on their side with the World Animal Foundation estimating just 8 percent of U.S. households foster animals, despite the overwhelming need for help.

Then, out of the blue, Jay and Kim Philbrook answered their call for help, offering to house Addie during the storm.

From the moment she laid eyes on her new foster carers, it was clear they were a perfect match. "Addie instantly loved them when she met them. Her joy jumping into the backseat of their car was overwhelming. It was a really precious moment," Dettloff said.

That precious moment was captured in a photograph shared to the shelter's Facebook page, with Addie grinning from ear to ear in the backseat of the Philbrooks' car. It marks a stark contrast to the picture of Addie when she first arrived.

The picture has had a huge response from the shelter's followers. "Look at Addie's sweet smile," one user wrote, with another declaring: "Have a wonderful time Addie girl!!!"

In a statement passed on to Newsweek, Jay Philbrook confirmed that Addie is settling in well. "She is doing great," he said, "She loves to go from the couch to her bed but always asks for permission first. Addie is his wife's Kim shadow."

Foster carers play a crucial role in not only temporarily housing rescue animals but also helping them to get used to life outside the shelter. Addie is now more than ready to make that step—she just needs someone to take a chance on her in the way the Philbrooks have.

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