When a senior dog arrived at a New Jersey animal shelter “severely neglected,” staff hoped she had finally found her happy ending. Two days later, she was back.
Common Sense for Animals in Stewartsville welcomed a senior dog named Petunia after animal control brought her in. She arrived in a rough condition—emaciated, dehydrated and suffering from skin issues. The team thought they found her a new home when an adopter stepped forward, but heartbreak struck two days later when the family returned Petunia over a single potty accident.
Mary Hendricks, who is known on TikTok as @theverymarylife, shared Petunia’s story after visiting her in the shelter, hoping a video would spark interest and showcase how she’s wearing down while waiting for her forever family.
Animals entering shelters experience stressors from the moment of intake, an article from the University of Florida said. The stress might be translated into feelings of fear, anxiety and frustration. Some will refuse to eat or engage, while others might show aggression. They could suffer from social isolation or a lack of mental and physical stimulation.
In the video, Petunia sits inside her kennel with her head lowered as Hendricks tries to get her attention. Though the dog briefly looks up, she quickly turns away, showing little interest in interaction.
For a moment, after Hendricks posted the video, the shelter believed Petunia had finally found her match. Hendricks told Newsweek via TikTok that Petunia went home with a new adopter, but another potty accident in their home brought her back to the shelter within 24 hours.
The team is dedicated to finding Petunia her forever home, which can include other animals and older children. Hendricks wrote in the video caption that Petunia does not appear to mind cats, likely because of her declining eyesight, and still has “spunk” despite her age.
“We have so many other dogs like her,” Hendricks said, which is why she wants to get Petunia’s story out. “Even if you can’t donate or adopt or foster, just simply engaging social media posts like Petunia can be more than enough. [It] helps tell the algorithm to show it to more people.”
TikTok users flooded the comment section with hopes that a Christmas miracle would pan out for Petunia, and as of Monday, the clip had reached more than 94,700 views, 18,600 likes and 940 comments.
“Rooting so hard for this sweet old soul,” a viewer said.
Another commented: “She looks like shes crying. This poor sweet girl DESERVES A MIRACLE.”
A third user wrote: “Sweet girl, I hope someone kind gives her the best life!!”
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.
