I cannot even begin to imagine what was on Imelda’s mind that day. Placed in a small kennel in an overcrowded shelter in Kansas, she must’ve felt so alone… and so scared.
This two-year-old pup literally couldn’t stop shaking. She backed up to the wall, trying to find some comfort, but all she found were loud, high-pitched noises coming from other kennels. Imelda looked like someone painted her face as a deeply, devastatingly sad clown—she was that traumatized.
In no time, this heartbreaking image traveled all over the country, leaving thousands of people in tears.
Facing Euthanasia
Very sad dog
People couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw Imelda in such terrible shape. Her harrowing footage soon spread rapidly across the internet, leading to many people inquiring about her situation. The sad truth was that she was about to be put on the euthanasia list simply because of her fear, and she could do nothing about it.
Luckily, her story made it to the Diamonds in the Ruff Rescue team from Missouri, who immediately took action.
“She made herself smaller as someone approached her in the kennel…she backed up to the wall in the kennel as if she was saying, ‘I promise I’m good, I’ll be good, just give me a chance,’” they stated in a Facebook post.
After seeing Imelda in such a bad condition, the rescue team decided to help her get a nice foster home instead of leaving her in the small, tiny kennel.
A Whole New Life
Sad dog in a crate
In just a few days, Imelda successfully left the shelter and found herself in a completely new environment. Although still shaken by her previous circumstances, Imelda evidently felt much better.
A nice, cozy, and quiet setup helped her relax, but what she loved the most was the fact that she finally had all the love just for herself. She wasn’t one of many dogs at the shelter anymore. She wasn’t overlooked or neglected. She was now the precious one!
Thanks to her new foster mom, Stephanie, Imelda quickly learned what it means to be loved. This experienced dog foster and huge dog lover welcomed her with an open heart, and Imelda couldn’t be more grateful.
She soon made friends with her other dog siblings and became the sweetheart of the house. Despite her previous life trauma, she began to exhibit wonderful manners, such as going potty outside and sleeping through the night without even a peep.
Four dogs on a couch
“She’s good with kids and other dogs. She sleeps in her crate all night without a peep, no accidents in the crate. She whines and paces the house when she needs to go outside, and she’s not food aggressive with either humans or dogs,” Stephanie shared in a Facebook post.
It turns out, all Imelda needed was a safe haven—a place where she could feel at home. And now that she has it, she’s beautifully transformed into a brand-new dog.
Sweet dog laying on a pillow
Looking at her now, Stephanie can hardly believe that Imelda once faced euthanasia just because she was a fearful dog.
“She is definitely coming around. To think she was on the euthanasia list for ‘fear’… NO REASON. Look at her bloom…her tail wags and she seems happy,” Stephanie wrote on Facebook.
Currently, Imelda is still looking for her forever home. She’s an absolute lover and could fit into any sort of home, though she prefers families with kids over ten years of age. Hopefully, her future humans are just around the corner, waiting for her!
