After weeks of searching, Steven Tyler has finally found his pack!
The brown and white rescue dog arrived atBradshaw Animal Shelterin Sacramento, California, in July 2023 after a Good Samaritan found the canine wandering near a high school alone. After no one came to claim the dog from the shelter, the rescue made Steven Tyler available for adoption.
“He was shy and unsure when he first came in, but as he developed relationships with some of our staff and volunteers, we were able to see his playful and goofy side. He also loved playgroups and spending time with other dogs,” Luna Anona, the public information officer for Sacramento County Animal Care Services/Bradshaw Animal Shelter, tells PEOPLE of Steven Tyler’s first few weeks at the shelter.
Shortly after Steven Tyler moved into the shelter, the rescue’s staff noticed that the dog had a touching habit — he could often be found staring out the window of his room.
Steven Tyler the rescue dog staring out his kennel window at Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento, California.Bradshaw Animal Shelter
Bradshaw Animal Shelter
The Bradshaw Animal Shelter was confident that this loving pup — who opted to snuggle with his kennel mate on her bed over sleeping alone — would make a perfect pet for a family looking for an affectionate furry friend. So, the shelter posted a videoon TikTokof Steven Tyler staring longingly out his window.
“Every day, this dog waits at the animal shelter like this for someone to adopt him,” the shelter wrote over the social media video.
“We thought he was just so adorable, but it was getting hard to walk past him looking like that every day! We thought if we could show more people what we were seeing, someone would fall in love with him the way we had,” Anona says of why the shelter posted the video.
The heartwrenching clip received over 2 million views betweenInstagram,Facebook, and TikTok. It also spread the dog’s story across the internet.
Steven Tyler the rescue dog, later renamed Donner, leaving the Bradshaw Animal Shelter with his new family.Bradshaw Animal Shelter
On Sept. 29, the same day the Bradshaw Animal Shelter posted Steven Tyler’s clip, a family that saw the video came in to adopt the dog.
Steven Tyler, later renamed Donner, relaxing in his new home after his adoption from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter.Tahoe and Donner/Instagram
Tahoe and Donner/Instagram
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The adopters renamed the canine Donner and instantly welcomed the pup into their family. The dog nowhas his own Instagram accountand fits right in with his new family.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for him. They say it feels like he’s been there forever,” Anona shares.
The dog’s video also led to a second adoption. Another animal lover who saw Steven Tyler’s viral clip came into the shelter to adopt the canine after he had already gone home with his new family, so the pet parent opted to adopt Steven Tyler’s cuddly kennel mate Helga Hufflepup instead.
Steven Tyler the rescue dog, later renamed Donner, hanging out with his new canine sibling Tahoe.Tahoe and Donner/Instagram
Anona hopes that Steven Tyler’s success story encourages others to adopt.
“We hope people realize how many wonderful family pets are waiting at animal shelters right now! We want animal shelters to be the very first place you think of when you think of adding a pet to your family,” she says.
For those unable to adopt, Anona suggests following your local animal shelters online and sharing their posts on social media to help other pets find their forever homes.
“At some point, somebody is going to see a TikTok, or a Reel, or a photo that someone else shared and be like, “I want to adopt this dog.” In the case of Steven Tyler and Helga Hufflepup, the usual foot traffic at the shelter and on our website wasn’t enough to find them a home. They were there for months! But suddenly, people start sharing a video they’re in, and they both find homes in the same weekend. That’s pretty incredible,” she says.
source: people.com
