For every dog, the greatest dream is a safe home filled with love and care. Yet countless pups are denied that chance, forced to fend for themselves or, if fortunate, end up in shelters.
Chico, a ten-year-old Chihuahua, once thought his life was different. Since birth, he had shared a warm home and constant companionship with his family. But when he needed them most, they turned their backs, leaving him behind in heartbreak.
Confused and unable to process what had happened, Chico couldn’t accept that the people he adored were no longer by his side.
The Hope That Kept Him Going
For a full decade, Chico spent his days surrounded by love in the home he thought would be forever. He never imagined that one day his family would abandon him. Yet that is exactly what happened in North Carolina, and the reason stunned rescuers.
According to McClatchy News, the family surrendered him because “they still had trouble potty-training him after 10 years.” But the shelter staff quickly noticed a different reality: “Chico’s kennel has been clean since he arrived at the shelter.”
Transferred to the Humane Society of Concord & Greater Cabarrus County in Concord, North Carolina, Chico arrived bewildered and refused to eat.
What stood out most was his heartbreaking reaction whenever cars pulled into the driveway.
“Every time a car would pull up in our driveway, he would be looking aggressively to try to get to that vehicle thinking it was his people coming back,” Judy Sims, executive director of the Humane Society of Concord & Greater Cabarrus County in Concord, North Carolina, told McClatchy News. “We see this so often when people surrender their animals.”
The staff knew that hope was what kept him alive, and their hearts broke for him. His longing only strengthened their determination to find him the ending he deserved.
At Last, The Right Car Arrived
Wanting to help Chico, the shelter shared his story in a Facebook post.
“Chico is an older gentleman that recently came to us after losing his home of ten years. He quickly attaches to certain people and can often have choice words for others he doesn’t know. Chico is a guy that needs to build trust to feel safe, and we don’t blame him due to what he’s been through,” they wrote.
They added that Chico would thrive in “a low traffic home that has plenty of free time and love to give him.” He also needed to be the only pet, with no other animals in the household.
His post quickly spread, touching countless people. Adoption offers began pouring in, but none quite matched Chico’s very specific needs.
Just as his hope seemed to fade, fate intervened. One day, a car pulled up outside the shelter, carrying the right family at last. Chico’s wait was finally over.
After years of love followed by sudden loss, Chico now had a new chance. His adoptive family promised they would never abandon him, no matter how long potty training might take.