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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A dog who was “terrified” of the shelter found a heartwarming way to show appreciation to the woman who rescued her.
Madison, an avid animal welfare advocate and shelter volunteer who regularly fosters dogs, posted a clip of the heartwarming moment Concha said “thank you” to her TikTok @madisontotherescue. Originally from Canada, Madison moved to Houston nearly a decade ago. Alarmed at the number of stray dogs she saw roaming the streets, she got involved in volunteering at Harris County Pets shelter.
Having started out walking the dogs and giving them treats, her work has expanded from there to include rescuing dogs at risk of euthanization in the shelter, financially sponsoring them and finding them forever homes. That mission led her to Concha. “Concha was found as a stray on the streets of Houston and was picked up by an Animal Control Officer,” Madison told Newsweek. “She was terrified at the shelter.”
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Concha spent nearly 60 days at Harris County Pets as part of a facility that houses anywhere up to 350 dogs at a time. “The loud noise of many dogs barking, strangers walking by, and being concealed in a concrete kennel rarely getting out is unsettling for many dogs,” Madison said. “Concha was one of those dogs, and it broke my heart so I knew I had to make a plan and save her.”
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By then Madison had struck up a bond with Concha, having seen glimpses of a dog desperate to be loved. “While volunteering at the shelter I took her out to the yard and she was such a good girl,” she said. “So calm and gentle, yet absolutely terrified. You could see it in her face. I pulled out a tennis ball and it was like the kid in her came out. I knew she was easily adoptable and had to help her.”
Madison works with another rescue organization. She got in touch with them and organized to have Concha released into a foster home. From there, Madison would financially sponsor Concha’s care and help get her adopted.
The plan was set and Concha’s release was signed off. All that was left to do was for Madison to pick her up and take her to her new foster home. It may not have been a forever home, but it was a world away from the shelter and would give Concha a chance to enjoy some one-on-one attention in a domestic setting.
A little attention goes a long way with a shelter dog. According to a 2018 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, just 15 minutes of petting was enough to boost the wellbeing of a group of shelter dogs in a controlled experiment.
Madison didn’t need any science experiments to see the benefits of what she was doing though. Dropping Concha off with the foster carer, the rescue pup made her feelings clear. “When we arrived at where she was going to be staying, I sat down on the couch and she jumped up and laid next to me and put her head on my leg with her paw over her face,” Madison said. “She was absolutely exhausted and needed rest and this was the first time she had felt safe in months.”
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The video posted to her TikTok captures that moment and the moment Concha places a paw on Madison, in a moment she believes was her way of saying “thank you.” “Dogs are smart and they are aware of what is going on around them,” she said. “Her head did not move but her eyes looked up at me and I knew she was thanking me for being her hero visiting her at the shelter, making a plan, picking her up and driving her to safety.”
Concha wasn’t with the foster carer for long. Within two weeks, Madison had found a couple in Iowa who were happy to make the long trip to bring her home. A month later, she’s settled in a new forever home, a world away from the shelter she feared. While that video captured a moment of “thanks,” Madison isn’t looking for any plaudits. She’s just happy to see a good dog finally enjoying her best life. “She is a perfect dog like many shelter dogs and has finally got the life she has always deserved,” she said.
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