Heartbreaking Difference in Dog From Day One to 1057 of Being in a Shelter

A woman has documented the heartbreaking reality of a dog's enthusiasm depletion after more than 1,000 days in an animal shelter.

The video, shared by Julie Saraceno, shows Kylie grinning from ear to ear on her first day at Benton Franklin Humane Society in December 2021. It's then followed by a clip of her more recently, eagerly standing next to the gate waiting for someone to adopt her.

Saraceno, a volunteer at the shelter, told Newsweek: "I feel like she deserves all the attention after almost three years as a shelter dog."

Five-year-old Kylie was surrendered when she was pregnant back in 2020 to a different shelter before being transferred for a "better chance" for adoption.

Sadly, this hasn't been the case for Kylie, based in Kennewick, Washington, who gains a lot of attention online but not in person.

Saraceno told Newsweek: "She hasn't had any actual visitors."

The heart-rending TikTok clip shared to @juliesaraceno2 has racked up 17,000 views since it was shared on November 7.

The two videos have been paired with a viral sound that begins with The Village People hit "YMCA," but suddenly cuts out and blends into a sad melody played by a piano.

While Kylie's demeanor has clearly changed, she hasn't completely lost hope as she continues to wag her tail in the second clip.

The video, captioned: "Kylie struggles to find a home because she needs to be an only pet," has pulled on thousands of heartstrings.

Saraceno told Newsweek: "She is a high-energy dog who loves going outside and running in the play yard along with playing fetch. She absolutely adores stuffed toys—especially the ones that squeak. The shelter makes sure she always has one in her kennel."

Some may say Kylie's downfall is her inability to get along with other dogs, which is why she has been in the shelter for so long.

Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet 'Shelter Watch Report' found. Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

So far over 340 TikTok users have vouched for the dog and many are begging others to adopt her.

One user said: "Let's get Kylie the living stable home she so deserves."

"Nothing wrong with a doggo who needs extra human loving," added another user.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.