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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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A shelter dog who was adopted after waiting over a year is once again back behind kennel doors, and a viral video capturing her confusion has left thousands of viewers on Facebook heartbroken.
“Maddie has not been adopted and is still waiting for a forever family,” Susan Leonti, digital marketing specialist at the Humane Society of Broward County, told Newsweek.
Before being adopted last year, Maddie spent over 400 days living in shelters.
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“She knows how stressful the shelter environment is, and she is already showing signs of fear and anxiety now that she is back,” Leonti said. “Yet because of her history with our shelter, and the bond she has with our staff, she is also excited to see familiar faces.”
The complex mix of emotions is on full display in a video shared by the Humane Society of Broward County on Facebook on November 25. The clip shows Maddie standing quietly in her kennel as text overlaid on the footage reads: “This is what confusion looks like.” The post has been liked more than 3,000 times and prompted an outpouring of emotional responses from viewers who said they were devastated to see her back in the shelter.
In the caption accompanying the video, the shelter explained that Maddie, now 3 years old, had finally been adopted after waiting 400 days in shelters. That happiness was short-lived. Her adopter later became ill and was no longer able to care for her.
“Now, Maddie is back at our shelter and doesn’t know what has happened?” the post read, urging followers to share her story.
Leonti said Maddie’s reaction highlights just how deeply shelter animals can form bonds with people.
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“Her confusion is a testament to the complex feelings these pets have and to the connections they make with humans,” she said. “All of this is being displayed in her video—the stress and apprehension she is feeling, as well as the recognition and excitement at seeing our staff again.”
Despite her difficult journey, staff describe Maddie as an affectionate and social dog.
She is an American Staffordshire terrier mix who loves to be petted and approaches people with enthusiastic tail wags and kisses. According to her former owner, Maddie is a “sweetheart” and a wonderful companion. She gets along very well with people, children and other dogs, though in the post, the shelter recommends a cat-free home as she is only “ok” around cats.
The shelter also highlighted Maddie’s recent “Dog’s Day Out” experience with one of its volunteers, which offered a glimpse of how she behaves outside the kennel environment. The volunteer reported that Maddie was calm in the car, gentle on her leash and unfazed by other dogs she encountered.
“All in all, she had a GREAT day,” the shelter wrote, adding that they hope she can soon enjoy that kind of day every day with a permanent family.
The Humane Society of Broward County, an independent nonprofit animal rescue shelter based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been advocating for animals since 1944 and provides lifesaving care to more than 4,000 homeless pets each year. For Maddie, staff say, the hope is that the attention generated by her video will help her finally find the stable, loving home she has been waiting so long for.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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