Early last year, a sweet husky named June who’d spent her entire life with her family suddenly found herself alone in a crowded shelter. Terrified and shaking from fear, she cowered in her kennel.
“She couldn’t understand where she was or why this was happening,” Isabella Sance, founder of Stacy Hope Rescue, told The Dodo.
Stacy Hope Rescue
No one was able to explain to June that her family had decided she was too much for them and given her up. So she was left confused and upset.
“She just looked around and tried to get smaller and smaller,” Sance said.
Noticing how distressed June was, a Stacy Hope Rescue volunteer decided to foster her so she could get a break from the overwhelming shelter environment.
June completely transformed the minute she arrived with her foster family. She got to run around, stretch her legs and get lots of love — all the things she remembered enjoying most before being surrendered.
Stacy Hope Rescue
June even made friends with her foster’s dog, who helped June come out of her shell and gave her much-needed companionship.
“We were so excited to finally see her put her guard down,” Sance said. “As soon as she met her foster’s dog, she turned into a completely new dog.”
June’s situation, while heartbreaking, is all too common. People often get huskies without fully thinking through whether the dog would fit in with their lifestyle and end up returning them.
Stacy Hope Rescue
“Huskies are a high-energy breed and demand a lot of time and dedication from their owners,” Sance said. “Unfortunately, not everyone understands that, and that’s why so many of them are in our shelters.”
Thankfully for June, though, her surrender ended up leading her to a loving forever home. Not long after settling in with her foster, she got adopted — by a family with two other huskies.
Now, she’s surrounded by people who understand her and by dogs who match her energy level. The three huskies play together constantly, then cuddle together when they’re done.
Most importantly, June finally feels safe and loved.
Stacy Hope Rescue
“She will never be abandoned again,” Sance said.