Heartbroken Dog in Shelter After Owner Passed Away Finds New Forever Home

A dog shelter in Fort Lauderdale has delighted viewers online after revealing that one of its pit bulls just found her forever home, having gone through the loss of her previous owner.

In a post shared on TikTok Saturday under the username @Humanebroward by the Humane Society of Broward Country, 6-year-old Cassie can be seen enjoying the last few cuddles with the volunteers at the shelter, before being taken to her new forever home with a gamut of new toys.

The heartwarming post came with a caption that explained: "Cassie found a home!!! The adoption video we've all been waiting for is finally here! Our dear girl Cassie was heartbroken after her former owner passed away.

"She spent months in our shelter wondering if she would ever find love again. Until this week, when her new mom drove all the way from Orlando, FL to adopt her! As you can see, it was love at first sight for both of them. Cassie finally has her happily ever after thanks to her amazing new mom. Happy Friday!

"We still have many wonderful pets looking for forever homes, including Sigmund, Grace and Sawyer."

"Cassie was so sad and confused when she came to the Humane Society of Broward County," the society told Newsweek. "For years she had a loving home with a wonderful man. Sadly, he passed away.

"She's a loyal girl who is very friendly, but for some reason, she was getting overlooked by adopters. She enjoys belly rubs and being wherever people are. She was not a fan of loud noises, so life in the shelter was really hard on her...The longer Cassie waited for a home, the more our staff and volunteers showered her with affection. Finally after months of waiting, Cassie found her forever home!"

According to Rescue Dog Home, pit bulls end up in shelters more than any other breed, and they are euthanized in the greatest numbers as well.

"Only one in 600 pit bull in shelters will win the lottery and find a forever home. Around 33% of dogs coming into shelters are labeled pit bulls," its website said, adding that in large cities, as many as 40 to 65 percent of dogs entering shelters are pit bulls.

Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet ShelterWatch Report found.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 685,4000 views and 54,500 likes on the platform.

One user, Aychi, commented: "Awww it was like they knew each other for so long than adopted. she opened up to her so quickly." And John CuthbertJonny boy said: "Happy days sweetie well done mom."

LionessLeo26 wrote: "When a Pittie finds its FURever home, it brings me joy! They are banned in areas of FL so this is a WIN WIN!" And Ari added: "Aww, I hope they take care of her and that the other puppies get a lovely family soon, god bless them."

Update 10/20/23 7:25 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from the Humane Society of Broward Country and new pictures.

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