Woman Witnesses Senior, Deaf Dog Being Surrendered, Starts Recording

A woman waiting at an animal shelter's vet clinic captured the moment someone surrendered an elderly dog, with the viral video sparking a surge of interest from potential adopters.

Kristy McLarnan, a BI developer based in Florida, "realized what was happening" when she heard a man discuss the process of surrendering the tiny senior dog at the clinic, and immediately began recording to show off the sweet pup to potential new owners.

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She told Newsweek: "The receptionist asked if he found a stray, and he said no, he was surrendering," describing the dog as deaf and partially blind, adding the man described her as 20 years old.

"This made me feel heartbroken and so sad for the dog. I'm a huge dog lover and it was hard for me to not say anything," she admitted.

But her video, shared on June 25 and which has racked up over 150,000 views, ended up catapulting the devastating story to a happy ending, as the elderly pup already has a new forever home waiting for her when she is surrendered on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Halifax Humane Society told Newsweek: "We are very happy that the person who took the video posted it because her effort resulted in the dog having an adopter waiting and willing to give it a forever home."

"People sometimes jump to conclusions and think the worst of a surrender situation," the spokesperson said, adding that while some in the comments "condemned the man for surrendering," his actions "will prove to be very beneficial for the dog."

Hundreds of people left comments on the video, with one declaring they "would've went home with a new dog."

"Thank you for making this public," another said. "Hopefully the pup gets a second chance."

Another wrote: "Although this is heartbreaking, I'm glad the owner surrendered him and didn't leave him alone on the streets. Praying the sweet dog gets adopted."

McLarnan, who posted to her page @micaandbenji, said the reaction to her video was "positive," as without it, "this dog's story wouldn't have gotten out to the public."

"Who knows if she would have been adopted?" she said. "While her story is sad, it seems to have a happy ending."

McLarnan described the woman due to adopt the little dog as seeming like "a perfect fit."

And the Halifax Humane Society added that while they "never condone anyone surrendering a dog simply because they are sick of the animal," if someone "cannot care for an animal properly due to lack of finances or negative changes to their lifestyle, then they should allow someone else to care for it if possible."

Around 6.3 million animals end up in shelters across the United States each year, including 3.1 million dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). An estimated 2 million dogs are adopted each year.

The ASPCA adds that while the adoption rate for younger dogs and puppies are around 60 percent, with senior animals it drops significantly, at a rate of just 25 percent.

Clarifying that it was unlikely the senior dog was 20 years old, estimating she was more likely 15, the shelter spokesperson told Newsweek: "Pets are not like a pair of shoes that you tire of and replace with a new pair. They are living breathing creatures that need care and love. We are all they have.

"However, there are times when a pet owner can no longer care for their pet due to losing their job, or being evicted, or because they have health issues."

The spokesperson reminded people to "adopt, don't shop. There are many thousands of animals in need of loving forever homes."

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