A shelter dog who had seemingly given up hope of ever finding a home has been given a second chance at life.
Nyla the 2-year-old Rottweiler began garnering attention online after staff at the shelter where she was staying, the Humane Society of Broward County, in Florida, shared a clip of her on social media “losing hope and shutting down.”
The shelter was determined to shine a light on Nyla given her sweet nature in the face of what had been a difficult start to life.
“Nyla was used as a breeding dog and surrendered in early March because her owner had too many dogs,” Cherie Wachter from the Humane Society of Broward County told Newsweek.
“Staff and volunteers were charmed by her sweet personality and playfulness. Nyla likes to snuggle on blankets and play with plush toys.”
Humane Society of Broward County
But despite charming everyone at the shelter on a day-to-day basis, Nyla wasn’t making much of an impression on visitors during their fleeting visits.
That’s not her fault though. The sad reality is that shelter pets have a tiny window within which to make an impression on a would-be owner.
A 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science laid bare the realities of it all. Researchers found visitors tended to interact with just one dog per shelter visit and that these interactions lasted an average of just eight minutes.
Yet in posting Nyla’s story to social media, staff put in motion a chain of events that would see her situation change for the better.
A family in St. Augustine, Florida, saw the video of Nyla on social media. They contacted the shelter and made arrangements to come and meet her, which was no mean feat given that the family lived some 290 miles away.
They were happy to make the four-hour trip though and had their reasons for wanting Nyla. “The family previously had another Rottweiler, Benjamin, who was a rescue who died last June from cancer,” Wachter explained.
“Their current dog, Soldier—a Rottweiler who is nearly 3 years old, has been very depressed since his best friend died. He would cry at the TV when he saw animals on the screen.”
The family had been looking for a new companion for Soldier for some time but, up until then, had struggled to find one that got along with their pet pooch.
Nyla changed that with Wachter confirming she was “the perfect match” for her new owner’s dog. That was enough to convince Nyla’s prospective new mom, Katherine, and 13-year-old daughter Myla to adopt the rescue pup.
It’s been plain sailing for Nyla and her new family ever since.
Humane Society of Broward County
“Nyla and Soldier are inseparable,” Wachter said. “They are sharing beds, toys, everything and Soldier’s anxiety is so much better now that he has a new best friend. Oh, and they really like to play.”
She added: “Katherine and her daughter have cried happy tears about their family member and what a miracle she is for them. And Soldier has a sparkle back in his eyes and is so happy now.”
Though social media might have helped Nyla find her forever home and sparked a deluge of calls from people interested in adopting her, there are countless other dogs at the shelter hoping and waiting to be the next to be given a second chance at life. Wachter’s advice is simple: “Visit your local shelter.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
