The Pain of Rejection: The Emotional Toll of Abandonment on Dogs

Pity when the dog crouched in the corner when he was abandoned by his owner ! - Juligal

Some dogs are given a home, and some are taken away from theirs. It’s a terrible thing to do to a dog, but this dog found herself in exactly that situation.

She wasn’t the slightest bit ready for it, and it’s tear-jerking to watch.

The owner brought the sweet girl in and didn’t have any plans of coming back for her.

They left in a hurry, and the dog didn’t so much as get a goodbye.

Scared, confused, and very much depressed, the dog spent the next few days in the shelter huddling in the corner.ADVERTISEMENT

In that corner, she pressed herself up the wall as much as possible and didn’t make a sound. There was sadness and heartbreak in her eyes, and she didn’t move from that spot.

Her name was Chloe- this was one of the few things they knew about her.

No other words can best describe Chloe’s behavior besides “trauma”. It was in her eyes, her movements, and her silence.

In an article from PetMD, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kelly Ballantyne informed people of how to spot trauma in pets. Take a look at what she mentions, and look back at the dog.ADVERTISEMENT

“Dogs and cats may attempt to escape or flee situations where frightened, they may become aggressive when interacted with or if forced out of a hiding spot, may freeze or show avoidance behaviors such as hiding or becoming still, and fidget by pacing, jumping up, or repeatedly pawing at their owners.”

Trying to help a traumatized animal isn’t a walk in the park.

Approaching too soon or too quickly can agitate the animal or scare them even more. What she needed right now was time, and lots of reassurance.

She refused to make eye contact with the staff, but they were hopeful that things would improve for her. When you’re at your lowest point, it helps to have people who won’t give up on you.

And the following weeks proved just that.

Little by little, Chloe was making progress. She left her little corner and went for walks with the staff at the shelter. She bonded, saw the outdoors, and remembered a bit of what it was like to be a happy dog.

The scared, abandoned dog deserved nothing but love and attention after what happened to her.

She still kept her tail between her legs and was far from playful yet, but she was getting there.

Chloe, now named Mira, made a stunning recovery.

She was a different dog from the scared, traumatized one who showed up at the shelter. Mira remembered what it was like to have someone care about her, something we all wanted to see.

In fact, she bonded so strongly with her foster parent Darvish Kamalia at the shelter that it ultimately decided where her new home would be.

With him. And they’re both all the happier for it!

The Animal Rescue Mission was delighted to announce the news on Instagram. In the post was a very touching caption that read “From the saddest dog we’ve ever seen to the happiest.”

Mira is part of Darvish’s family now, and cheers to him for taking such good care of her.