Carlie, a one-year-old German Shepherd mix, came to the Humane Society of Broward County as a small puppy. Her early life was filled with struggles, leaving her scared, timid, and distrustful of people.
Due to her shy nature, Carlie was frequently overlooked by adopters. She hid so well that it felt as though she didn’t exist at all.
The Invisible Pup
When Carlie first arrived at the shelter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the staff could immediately sense her fear. Though no one knew exactly what she had been through, it was clear that her time on the streets had left emotional scars.
From the beginning, Carlie avoided human interaction. As days passed, she grew more withdrawn, often curling up at the back of her kennel where she felt safest.
Potential adopters simply walked by without noticing her.
“She was so well hidden that she became known as the invisible dog,” Susan Leonti, from the Humane Society of Broward County, told The Dodo.
Carlie became one of the shelter’s longest residents, joining the group of dogs affectionately known as the “Left Out” dogs.
Despite her sweet and loving nature, her quiet demeanor made it difficult for anyone to truly see who she was.
A Step Toward Socialization
The staff at the shelter grew fond of Carlie, but it was hard for them to watch her remain so isolated.
“When we realized she was avoiding people and being passed over by adopters, we immediately moved her to a more visible kennel and started working with her daily on socializing,” Susan explained.
Slowly, Carlie began to show progress.
“Carlie began to associate people with things that she enjoys, like getting treats and receiving affection,” Susan noted.
Even with this improvement, Carlie was still being overlooked by potential adopters.
“Despite the progress we saw in Carlie’s behavior, she remained incredibly shy and much more hidden compared to the other dogs in the shelter,” Susan said.
Carlie spent her first birthday at the shelter, marking nearly 180 days with no adoption applications.
She remained “The Invisible Dog.”
A Heartfelt Sign To Bring Attention
In a last-ditch effort, the shelter decided to place a sign on Carlie’s kennel. The hope was to make people stop and finally notice her. Although it was a heartbreaking decision, the sign seemed to catch attention.
@humanebroward Please share for Carlie 🥺🙏 Carlie has been waiting for a home for almost half a year 💔 That’s longer than any other dog at our shelter 😔 Sadly, Carlie used to hide in the back of her kennel, where adopters could not see her, so she went overlooked for months. She was so hidden that she became known as the invisible dog 💔 Well, we’ve been working with Carlie every day with positive reinforcement and we moved her to our most public kennel to help socialize her, and guess what? This sweet girl is slowly coming out of her shell! 🙏🥹 Carlie is now learning to trust and is coming to the front of her kennel. She’s even getting the courage to ask for treats with her paw! ☺️ Carlie is what we call a “Pup in Progress” and she is coming along so well! She is a young girl, only 1 years-old. She has so much life ahead of her and plenty of time to become the confident dog she really wants to be. Now, all Carlie needs is an adopter or foster family that will let her continue her progress at her own pace, but in the comfort of a loving home. Can you adopt or foster dear Carlie? 🙏❤️ If you cannot adopt or foster, please share Carlie’s post! 🙏 Carlie’s adoption fee has kindly been sponsored by @JRDUNN JEWELERS To meet her, please start by submitting an application online (link is in bio) then come on in. We’re open 7 days a week. The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Adoptions open at 11am. Call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 with any questions ❤️ #rescuedog #shelterdog #adoptme #adoptdontshop #humanebroward #fortlauderdale #florida #dogvideos #southflorida #miami #browardcounty #miamidade #dogs #dogoftheday #dogsoftiktok #dogshelter #animalshelter #fyp #foryou #shepherd #shepherdmix #shepherdsoftiktok #germanshepherdmix #pupsinprogress #shydog #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Humane Society Broward County
When the Humane Society of Broward County shared Carlie’s story alongside the “Invisible Dog” sign, things started to change.
The video went viral, quickly accumulating over a million views on Facebook.
Within days, Carlie’s life took a turn for the better. The shelter updated their Facebook followers with the good news:
“Well, Carlie’s new parents definitely noticed her, and it was love at first sight! They were forwarded her video online by a friend and saw that Carlie had so much potential. They drove all the way from Lee County, FL, because they knew they could give Carlie the safe and loving home she needed to thrive.”
After nearly 180 days of waiting, Carlie had finally found her forever home.
@eto_pitam @Joka ♬ original sound – eto_pitam
Her new family shared, “Carlie is doing absolutely great! It’s only been two days and she is already starting to bloom.”
We wish Carlie the best as she begins this new chapter. She truly deserves all the love and happiness.