Rescue with Ric: Meet Freda
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Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Confused dog waited ‘by the door' after her owner died. Then came good news
A dog in mourning for her beloved owner now has a new family she can give her love to in Ohio. When Tilly, a brown and white Chihuahua mix with expressive eyes, lost her owner, a want of understanding took over that no one could explain to her. 'When Tilly's owner passed away, the family told us he loved his dogs more than anything in the world. We believed them the second we met his dogs,' the Brown County Humane Society Dog Shelter in Georgetown said in a July 31 Facebook post. 'Tilly was sweet, loyal, confused, and still waiting by the door. She's the one with the soulful eyes and the 'I've seen things' expression that comes from being the responsible sibling in a house.' Luckily for Tilly, there was another family out there for her, one that will help her through the grieving process and renew feelings of love and protection again. 'Today, we got to send her home,' the shelter continued. 'Not only did she find a new family who adores her, she also gained two tiny, opinionated fur siblings—who seem thrilled to have a new big sister (and someone to blame things on). 'Tilly's person would be proud.' People in the comment section were thrilled the shelter was able to find the pup the perfect home. 'So happy for Tilly,' one person said. 'This makes my heart so happy,' another noted. 'Big, cheesy grins on Tilly and her new Mom and Dad... The other two look a bit skeptical but I know they'll all have fun together soon,' someone chimed in. For more information on other adoptable pets, visit the shelter's website. Georgetown is about a 40-mile drive southeast from Cincinnati.
Newsweek
28-07-2025
- Newsweek
Tears As Rescued Chihuahua About To Be Left in Crate Leaps for Worker's Arm
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A heartwarming video of a Chihuahua refusing to return to her shelter kennel has captured the attention of internet viewers, racking up over 155,000 views on TikTok. The clip, shared by @kellypetspets, features 5-year-old Celeste clinging affectionately to a Humane Society of North Texas staff member. The dog is clearly reluctant to let go as she is gently placed back into her enclosure. Newsweek spoke to one of the shelter's behavior trainers, Kelly Rybarczyk, about Celeste, who was one of 37 dogs rescued from a hoarding situation. Rybarczyk said: "Like all the dogs in this group, Celeste was fearful and shut down when she arrived at the shelter. She spent a lot of time shaking in her kennel. If you tried to touch or pick her up, she would growl and offer to bite. Two screenshots from the viral video showing Celeste cuddling the shelter worker. Two screenshots from the viral video showing Celeste cuddling the shelter worker. TikTok/@kellypetspets "Because Celeste had been living feral, the behavior team spent months earning her trust and teaching her that human interaction is a positive experience," Rybarczyk said. "Eventually, Celeste was coming up to greet us at the kennel door and leaping into our arms when we would take her outside to play. She showed an amazing resilience and capacity to adapt. Now, all Celeste wants is to be held by people she loves and trusts." Last week, Celeste was adopted and is doing well in her new home, leaving her brother behind. What Is Animal Hoarding? The Animal Legal Defense Fund says there are likely at least 250,000 animal victims of hoarding annually across the country. Newsweek reached out to Professor Nick Neave, who is the director of the Hoarding Research Group at Northumbria University in England. He said that object hoarding is often a coping mechanism rooted in childhood trauma and neglect, affecting how individuals form relationships. People may develop deep emotional attachments to items—either because they remind them of loved ones or because they serve as substitutes for people they have learned to distrust. Neave said: "Animal hoarding appears to be very similar and makes more sense as we all attach to animals (e.g. pets), but what is odd is that, while people who hoard animals say that they deeply love their animals, they don't care for them very well. "One issue is that animal hoarders do not engage at all with researchers and so their insight into their behaviors is lacking—it is also the case that there appear to be more than one 'type' of animal hoarder each with slightly different characteristics. These behaviors are uncommon, but are often hidden, and cause huge problems for the local authorities." Rybarczyk said: "In this case, what probably started out as two Chihuahuas quickly ballooned to almost 40, and the owners were no longer able to provide care or socialization for these pups. That is where our shelter was able to step in and provide relief to the owners, assistance for the Chihuahuas and end the cycle of breeding." Rybarczyk described the house to be "in poor condition with inches of urine and feces covering every surface." "The Chihuahuas were living as a feral pack that was able to run in and out of the house because the front door had been broken. All the dogs were in poor condition due to lack of access to ample food and clean water. They were also infested with many parasites, internal and external. Many lacked hair due to flea dermatitis," Rybarczyk said. TikTok Reacts "I wish I could take her, so precious," said one user. "I could never do this job bc [because] I would simply give in to every single animal," added another, and Rybarczyk responded: "We have to let them go to make room for the next pet that needs help. Those who can't let go become animal hoarders in need of help too."
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- Newsweek
Dog's Heartbreaking Look After Family Surrenders Her at 14 Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A terrified dog reentered the shelter at 14 years old after a year of being neglected, but a new family took a chance on the senior canine. Abby, a 14-year-old Chihuahua, was adopted in April 2024 with the thought she would be in her forever home. But fast forward to June, and the owners returned her to the Animal Foundation in Las Vegas. Abby arrived there "terribly underweight," a June 29 Reddit post to the subreddit channel r/Chihuahua read. Her bones protruded; you could see the outline of her spine, ribs and hips. Abby's eyes showed nothing but horror and confusion; she no longer had the Chihuahua spunk. It was as if she had accepted that her final days would be at the animal shelter. But, after a week, a new family stepped up to give this senior dog a fighting chance. User u/Dangerous_Basil5899 shared the exciting news of Abby's adoption on Reddit, accompanied by photos of her finally eating and sleeping. Part of the post read: "Hoping she can live her best years here in our home being spoiled." Newsweek reached out to u/Dangerous_Basil5899 via Reddit for additional information. Photo of the 14-year-old Chihuahua Abby sleeping in her forever home after being adopted. Photo of the 14-year-old Chihuahua Abby sleeping in her forever home after being adopted. Dangerous_Basil5899/Reddit The small dog's forever family said she was probably starved by the previous owners, given the fact that she weighed almost as much as she did a year ago. The owner wrote in the comment section: "She's skeletal and was in rough shape." In just 24 hours after being adopted, Abby already looked stronger, the owner added. They had been giving her goat's milk—an easy-to-digest source of high protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin A—as well as bone broth. However, the family's hopes to have her for years came to a quicker end than expected. The owner shared in a Reddit post earlier this week that Abby had died. The post reads: "I am sad, but more angry. Angry her owners, who adopted her last year, dumped her at the shelter in this frail condition 1.5 years later, angry at those who I consulted and kept saying this was 'all normal.' It wasn't and we knew it wasn't." However, the family is finding comfort in the fact that Abby did not cross the rainbow bridge in a shelter. She received home-cooked meals and a bed, and the little dog was surrounded by endless love in her final days. Reddit Users React As of Thursday, the initial Reddit post had amassed over 8,500 upvotes and more than 425 comments. Heartbroken to hear about Abby's past, people breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was in good hands at the end. One Reddit user said: "Thank you for giving her a second lease in life, we need more people like you!" From left: Photos of Abby, a 14-year-old Chihuahua, resting at The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas, Nevada. From left: Photos of Abby, a 14-year-old Chihuahua, resting at The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dangerous_Basil5899/Reddit Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
