It is heartbreaking to think of all of the pets that are currently in animal shelters. Some poor animals get dumped in high-kill shelters, with little to no hope.
According to the ASPCA, “approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.”
On Valentine’s Day, Smokey the dog became one of these statistics. But thankfully, his story has a much happier ending than most.
Smokey was surrendered to the Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption center in February 2017. When Smokey was given up, he had one possession with him. His elephant stuffed animal.
Sadly, Smokey’s previous owner had lost their home and could not care him anymore. But they hoped that by leaving the elephant with Smokey, he’d have a sense of comfort in the shelter.
Rescuers realized just how important this elephant was to Smokey. While he waited to be adopted, the sign on his Kennel read “keep my elephant with me.”
At first, the group worried that Smokey would be hard to place, as he was growling and they couldn’t put him up for adoption to the public. So, they sent out a blast notification to local rescue groups to try and find a home for Smokey.
Lucky for Smokey, two volunteers from the nonprofit I Have A Dream Rescue Organization were checking out another dog at the shelter and spotted Smokey. They instantly fell in love with him and knew they’d need to bring him back with them.
The group shared four adorable photos of Smokey on their Facebook page after taking him in.
We want to give Smokey and his elephant a great big #WelcomeToSafe shout!!! They are both currently enjoying their freedom ride (Smokey fell asleep immediately) and there will definitely be more to come, but tonight they will be taking a much needed break and getting some rest.
I Have a Dream Rescue Organization worked to find Smokey a foster that could give him all of the care, love, and attention he needs.
Shortly after they posted about Smokey, many flocked to the posting to offer their assistance. Everyone wanted to bring Smokey and his stuffed elephant into their home.
It is wonderful to know that Smokey is now able to feel safe and that everyone’s respected his love of his little-stuffed elephant.
Please SHARE Smokey’s story with your friends and family on Facebook today.
