Tears as Dog Who Lived in Rescue Shelter for 7 Years Is Finally Adopted

A dog stuck in an animal shelter for seven years has finally found her forever home.

Animal-shelter employee Josh spent two years caring for Terri as part of his day job. After leaving his role in June, he decided to make the senior dog his own, giving her the life and love she's always deserved.

In a video posted to TikTok on August 9, user @josh.timk documented Terri's final day at the shelter and shared moments from their new life together.

According to the most recent data from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), an estimated 6.3 million pets are handed to shelters every year in the U.S. Roughly 3.1 million are dogs, and around 390,000 are euthanized.

Fortunately, 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted annually, two million of which are canines. Some 23 percent of dog owners in a recent Animal Pet Products Association (APPA) survey got their pet from a shelter, while 34 percent purchased their animal from a breeder and 20 percent were adopted from a friend or family member.

Unfortunately, the ASPCA says that senior dogs are less likely to find a forever home than younger ones. Senior dogs have a 25 percent adoption rate, compared to 60 percent for younger animals.

'Welcome home Terri'

The clip begins by showing Terri in her shelter kennel, wagging her tail as Josh walks toward her. In the next scene, she can be seen sitting in the back of Josh's car, as the pair prepare for the drive home. "I couldn't leave her," Josh captioned the snippet.

"Welcome home, Terri," he says, as the pair approach the front door. "You have waited too long for this."

Viewers are then treated to clips of Terri in a party hat, wolfing down a meal, rolling over for tummy scratches and following her human around the house.

"You now have a place to call home and a bed to sleep in," Josh writes over the footage.

"7 years overlooked, but now you have a place to relax. I will do my best to give you an amazing life."

TikTok users couldn't get enough of Terri's heartbreaking journey, with the post receiving more than 29,000 likes and 2,800 comments.

"Everything she deserves!" wrote frecklebean. "I hope you both have a beautiful life together."

"I have tears in my eyes," commented Lee Peyton16.

"I'm so happy for you and Terri!" wrote Aristea. "What a beautiful happy ending!"

Ann. B commented: "Thank you for adopting this senior dog! They are the best!!!!"

Before adopting Terri, Josh had been sharing videos of her at the shelter, encouraging people to give her a home, as well as advocating for other senior dogs and "long stays."

Newsweek has reached out to @josh.timk for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.