For dogs who spend too much time in a kennel, stress can build up quickly. Many shut down completely, avoiding people and refusing to eat. Others develop unusual coping behaviors that worry those around them.
Romeo, a striking German Shepherd with gentle eyes, was one of those dogs. His stress took on a heartbreaking form: he began spinning in circles endlessly inside his kennel.
Hope Arrives Just In Time
When Romeo first arrived at a Los Angeles shelter, he was calm and kept to himself. But after weeks passed, his stress became unbearable. He refused to stop spinning, no matter what staff tried.
“He was about to be euthanized because he had stopped eating. I just did a plea for help on my TikTok and a woman named Jessica commented on it and said ‘We want him’,” Kelsey told The Dodo.
As soon as Kelsey saw that someone wanted to give Romeo a chance, she rushed to the shelter, picked him up, and drove him straight to his new home.
During the car ride, Romeo was nervous, but then something remarkable happened. He ate.
“I had a handful of food and he ate it right out of my hand. He was starving,” said Kelsey.
That simple act of eating gave him back some of the energy he had lost. It was as though he finally understood that his new life was about to begin.
Old Habits Return
For the first twenty minutes in his new home, Romeo seemed like a brand-new dog. He wagged his tail and showed excitement. But soon, the spinning returned.
“I let him outside, and he started spinning. Like, uncontrollably. I got on the phone with the vet, they thought it was just a lot of stress that he had gone through in the shelter,” Jessica explained.
Hoping to help, they took him outside for a playdate to distract him, but it didn’t work.
Then Jessica had an idea. She rolled a ball across the yard, and instantly Romeo’s focus shifted. His eyes lit up, and instead of spinning, he chased after the ball with enthusiasm.
“We were like ‘Oh, wow, okay!’ There is something that can help him, distract him,” she said.
Since playing ball indoors was not possible, Jessica needed another strategy for when Romeo spun inside the house. She quickly discovered that giving him commands worked wonders.
Because Romeo was so intelligent and eager to listen, she could redirect him by asking him to lie down. Each time he began spinning, she calmly told him to stop and lie down, and he obeyed.
With love, patience, and structure, Romeo finally learned how to cope without making himself dizzy.
“Romeo is definitely a part of my family. He’s actually amazing. He’s so well-trained at this point that it’s not an issue anymore,” Jessica concluded.
A Happy Ending With A Bigger Message
Romeo’s story shows just how damaging life in a noisy, confined shelter can be for sensitive pups. Anxiety and stress often push them into behaviors that may look unusual, but behind those behaviors are dogs who simply need love and understanding.
Romeo was fortunate to find a family that stepped in at the very last moment, saving him from a tragic fate. Today he is happy, loved, and free from the endless circles that once controlled his life.
But there are still many dogs in shelters waiting for their chance. Like Romeo, they dream of the day when someone will notice them and open their heart and home.
If you can, consider adopting. Every pup deserves the chance to feel safe, loved, and free again.