One thing is for sure: all dog rescuers see their fair share of difficult moments. But even then, few things are as heartbreaking as watching a dog you once nurtured back to health return to the shelter.
It’s particularly hard to watch them come back after believing they’d finally found their ideal match.
That’s exactly what happened when Cassondra Christman, a volunteer at the Maui Humane Society in Hawaii, walked into the shelter one day.
In front of her were not one, but three familiar faces. To make things worse, they all belonged to the same litter.
Heartbreaking Sight
Upon arriving at work one morning, Christman immediately recognized a well-known trio: Cienna, a one-eyed dog, along with her two siblings: Chandler and Christina.
In a heartbreaking TikTok video, Christman shared the shocking sight with her followers.
“Coming in to the shelter yesterday I was shocked and saddened to see not only had one eyed Cienna came back but her two siblings (who were adopted out separately all to separate homes) were back too,” Christman wrote in the video caption.
To say that she was devastated would be an understatement.
“It was so sad to see Cienna came back from adoption. Not only her but her siblings from separate homes did too. Chandler, Cienna & Christina are all back up for adoption,” the video text reads.
All three dogs had originally been rescued as strays from the busy highway. The Hawaii shelter took them in, nurtured them back to health, and helped each find a loving home.
Sadly, their lives took unexpected turns.
According to Cienna’s owners, she was returned after the landlord said no dogs were allowed. Christina, on the other hand, was surrendered because “she was terrified of her owner’s partner”.
Each story was different, but the result was the same: three siblings, three broken hearts.
“At Least They Have Each Other”
The video posted by the Hawaii volunteer quickly went viral. People reached out in the comment section, expressing their solidarity with this cute trio.
“What is wrong with people,” one person wrote.
“That absolutely breaks my heart for them. They deserve better. Hopefully now they’ll have a chance for better to come their way,” another added.
However, Christman found a small bit of comfort in their surrender. Despite being returned, the trio at least had each other.
“Three dogs back on one day, at least they have each other while they wait,” Christman added.
Being together seemed to ease the dogs’ confusion and loneliness, at least a little.
While all three wait for their next shot at happiness, the staff remains hopeful and determined to find them homes where they’ll be loved and cherished for good.
Hopefully, this time around, their story will end with happy forever homes!