Moment Three-Legged Dog Waits at Shelter Door for New Owner

The internet has been left in tears after watching a TikTok video of a 12-week-old puppy waiting for her new owner at the front door of an animal shelter.

Joe Kay, 35, recorded the moment Veronica, a three-legged puppy, excitedly stands by the door of the Wayne County Dog Shelter in Ohio.

Kay, an animal advocate, told Newsweek: "She was rescued from a puppy mill because she needed to have her leg amputated."

The operation may have changed Veronica's appearance but it certainly hasn't dampened her spirit as she appears to be extremely jolly.

Fortunately, she was in the shelter for just a "short period of time," according to Kay.

He told Newsweek: "My reaction to any dog getting adopted is overjoyed. It makes what I do worth it every time I see a dog get a forever home."

Kay, who uses the handle @adoptingdogs, uses his social media platform to raise awareness of the shelter in Wooster, Ohio. With over four million TikTok followers, Kay frequently shares videos of dogs looking for homes. Along with the moment they discover they are on hold or being adopted.

At the time of writing, the clip of Veronica wagging her tail at the door before being scooped up by her new owner has over 32,000 views. But this isn't the only clip he has shared of Veronica. He also recorded the moment Veronica found out she is going to have a "proper family." In the clip, she can be seen running around her enclosure while wagging her tail.

Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, 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 4,600 TikTok users have liked the video and some users have been reduced to tears.

One comment said: "Ugly cry."

"She's about to be hand fed rotisserie chicken for the rest of her days. And sit in a lap," said another.

Another said: "That's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Yayyyyy!!! All the love in your forever home, precious baby!" celebrated another user.

Fortunately, Veronica's story has a happy ending but this is far from the reality for some shelter dogs. Like Winter, who was adopted after almost 500 days in a shelter but sadly returned. Newsweek has also shared six-year-old Olive's story, who recently had a taste of life outside the shelter after being taken out by volunteers.

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.