After an unexpected loss of the couple’s canine, Alanna and Keith decided to open their hearts to a senior dog whose eyes immediately pulled at their heartstrings.
Alanna and her husband, Keith, received heartbreaking news of their 9-year-old St. Bernard passing away while on vacation in February. For months, they grieved their fur baby, unsure whether they could welcome home another dog, she told Newsweek via email.
That is, until the couple came across a photo of Mulligan, a 10-year-old golden retriever at the Edmonton Humane Society in Canada.
They slept on the decision, but his listing disappeared the next day. Days later, they saw his post returned, and they found out his initial adoption had fallen through. But again, they waited, and the process restarted.
“A week passed, and something told us to check again,” Alanna said. “There he was, waiting. We discussed that he was old, but decided it didn’t matter. He deserved a safe and loving home, and we knew we could give it to him.”
Without taking any chances of him being gone again, they arrived at the shelter 30 minutes before it opened. They learned his previous owners, an elderly couple, surrendered him due to no longer being able to care for him. Then, he was returned by an adopter for being “too stinky.”
He lived at the animal shelter for three weeks. The stress of the shelter environment caused him to become anxious, and he received medication. He weighed about 30 pounds overweight and walked with a limp, yet the couple didn’t mind. They were head over heels for this “oldest, goodest” dog.
“From the moment we saw him in person, we knew we had to take him home,” she said.
The couple shared Mulligan’s adoption story on the Instagram account @thegoldensaint on July 12. Mulligan showed nothing but smiles when he met the couple. His tail wagged, knowing his happy ending had finally arrived.
Alanna said during his first two days home, he barely left his bed, the couch or the living room rug. Then, his “spirit began to brighten,” as he started exploring the house, watching birds through the window and adding pep to his step while outside.
His upcoming vet appointment will help the couple develop a safe exercise plan to help get his weight under control. In the meantime, they’re transitioning him to healthy food. The appointment could also include a hydrotherapy session to ease his joints, she said.
“He’s brought light back into our home and healing to our hearts…Now, we’re determined to help him live out his golden years in comfort and joy,” she said. “And no matter how much time he has left, we’ll make every moment count.”
Viewer Reactions
The heartwarming adoption reached over 322,000 views and 30,859 likes on Instagram within three days of posting.
“Thank you so much for giving this sweet boy a second chance at a wonderful life,” commented an Instagram user.
A second person wrote: “What a precious boy. So glad he found his forever home with you!”
Another added: “You can definitely tell he’s a good boy!! Aweeee, happy he found a home with you guys.”
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