Hearts have been broken by a former breeding dog who was forced to have several litters of puppies before being abandoned when she was no longer useful.
Chanel, a Staffordshire terrier mix, arrived at BARC Animal Shelter in Houston, Texas, on April 11, in need of a home and someone to truly love her. The 5-year-old dog had been used for breeding her entire life, as Vanessa Torres, a volunteer at the shelter, said Chanel was just used “like a machine.”
Seeing Chanel broke Torres’ heart, as she told Newsweek that it was clear she’d just been “used to sell puppies” and hadn’t been loved. Despite what she’d gone through, and ultimately being brought to the shelter when she was no longer useful, Chanel is still so calm and loving.
“I had so many emotions and I couldn’t believe what I saw,” Torres said. “Being from Houston, the breeding here is frustrating. They use a lot of the dogs and when they’re done, they just throw them out like they’re only a machine.”
“Chanel has such a calm demeanor. I walked around some of the kennels when I was there to visit, and she always walked so calmly, and she takes treats so gently too,” she continued.
When Torres met Chanel in the days after arriving at the shelter, she wanted to get to know the rescue pup and observe her personality. Chanel hadn’t reached her deadline before being put on the euthanasia list yet, but it was “coming close,” so Torres wanted to act fast.
She took multiple videos of Chanel and posted them on social media (@bakedwithv on TikTok and @woofgangv on Instagram) to spread the word. The heartbreaking video, posted on April 21, shows Chanel looking incredibly bereft in her kennel, as the caption explained that she “spent her whole life making puppies she’ll never see.”
Needless to say, internet users were devastate, and the clip went viral. In a matter of days, it has amassed over 4.4 million views and 971,400 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Alongside the footage, Torres added that the tag on Chanel’s collar doesn’t have information in case she got lost, but rather, it said: “puppies for sale.”
Chanel didn’t do anything wrong and didn’t deserve to be without a home. Torres hopes to show people that the dogs in shelters aren’t bad or dangerous, and they deserve to be in a happy home.
Thankfully, after sharing Chanel’s story, Torres and the shelter were able to find her a foster family. She has since been named Grace, and she’s loving every moment in her new home.
Torres told Newsweek: “Her foster home sounds amazing. They are giving her the time she needs, and they have another dog who they are slowly starting to engage with her. So far, she’s a sweetheart and still super gentle. Her foster family are really enjoying Grace’s company, and they might even keep her.”
Despite everything she’s gone through, Grace (formerly Chanel) has shown so much love and patience to the people who have cared for her. Torres has been blown away by her calm nature, and she hopes Grace will finally get “the security and the love she needs.”
Since the story went viral online, the video has amassed over 9,900 comments in just a matter of days.
One TikTok user wrote: “What a beautiful mama, someone please give this angel a home.”
Another person added: “She looks heartbroken. I hope someone helps her get her spirit back.”
While another comment reads: “This video made me cry. I pray she finds a forever loving home.”
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