Volunteer's Kind Gesture To Struggling Shelter Dog Has Internet in Tears

A shelter volunteer found an extra-special way to help one canine resident struggling with life at his rescue facility.

When it comes to shelter dogs, a little bit of attention can go a long way. A 2018 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science concluded that just 15 minutes of one-on-one petting was enough to provide a measurable boost to the well-being of an everyday shelter dog.

Shelter volunteers know only too well how much of an impact these small things can have. One such volunteer has been showcasing this in a series of videos posted to TikTok. The woman behind the @girlwithnodog account chose not to share her name with Newsweek.

She currently supports shelters in and around Columbus, Ohio, and likes nothing more than to provide the canine residents at these facilities with special treats and breaks away from their kennels. "I've been volunteering at the county dog shelter for years and will sometimes take pups out on sleepovers or adventures to give them a break from kennel life," the woman told Newsweek.

That is how she first met Noble. This petite pup was living at Franklin County Dog Shelter in Columbus at the time and, sadly for him, was struggling to attract any adoption interest at all.

"Noble had been at the shelter for several months without much interest," the TikTok poster said. During that time, Noble had been unable to find a suitable space in which to let out some of his seemingly boundless energy. "He loved doing zoomies, but the shelter yard doesn't provide much space for him to be off leash," @girlwithnodog said.

So, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Using Sniffspot, an app that allows dog owners to rent private property by the hour to walk their pets in, she set up the ideal day out for her shelter friend; a trip to his very own private field to do zoomies to his heart's content. "He absolutely loved it." the woman said. "He was thrilled to have plenty of space to run and play."

The kindness at the heart of @girlwithnodog's gesture was not lost on those watching along on TikTok. "This warms my heart so much! I volunteer at the shelter and I know that this truly makes a difference," one viewer wrote. "OMGEEEEE [oh my God] he slept sooooo good that night! Happy fully hearted sleep!" a second posted, with a third adding: "Why did this make me so emotional. Every shelter dog deserves to feel this!!"

Trips out can sometimes provide shelter dogs with a chance to refresh and return to the kennels with a renewed sense of optimism. Maybe that is what happened with Noble because he has since been adopted.

It is a wonderful turn of events, but @girlwithnodog is keen to stress that there are plenty more dogs just like Noble desperate to get adopted. "The number of dogs entering the shelter system far exceeds the number of people adopting, so there is always a struggle to find homes for dogs in need," the woman said.