A shelter dog looked like he had given up after being adopted and returned twice in the space of less than a year.
Louie is only 14 months old. He has spent the vast majority of his life at Leavenworth Animal Control in Leavenworth, Kansas, having been first rescued back in May 2025. “He was found in a local park with two of his siblings when they were about three months old,” Maria Torres, a volunteer at the shelter, told Newsweek.
Torres is an active duty soldier stationed in Leavenworth. She regularly posts to TikTok under the handle @fortheforgottendogs, shining a light on the dogs that are struggling at the shelter. Louie is one of them.
“I first met Louie back in October,” Torres said. “I was walking past his outdoor kennel, and he wouldn’t stop pacing. I tried to leash him for a walk and he was completely terrified of everything.”
Shelter life can be overwhelming for a dog. It’s a place full of noise and unusual smells. Everything is alien. A study conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association previously found shelter environments were capable of producing physiological stress responses in dogs.
Elevated cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress, changes to the immune system and a reduced ability to cope with new experiences were all associated with extended shelter stays.
Louie has certainly struggled with life there. In a video posted to TikTok, Torres showed how Louie had taken to “pacing non-stop” in his enclosure, clearly stressed at his surroundings.
Some of that may well be down to the rejection Louie has experienced since arriving at the shelter. “Louie has actually been adopted twice but both times returned 24 hours later without any justification,” Torres said.
“They didn’t give a specific reason other than saying she wasn’t a good match. I believe it may have been because she was still a puppy, needed training, and was a little fearful.”
Matters were further compounded when a planned foster stay fell through at the last minute. When Torres posted that video of Louie she did so amid concerns he was declining more and more every day she saw him.
“I originally shared his story because when you see a dog that stressed in a kennel, it stays with you,” Torres said. “Unfortunately, many adopters want a perfect dog right away and don’t always have the patience to work through those fears. Dogs like Louie just need someone willing to understand them and give them time to build trust.”
It was a desperate attempt to try and drum up adoption interest. To get someone to take a chance on Louie—and it worked.
A family in Colorado watched the video and decided to take action. Even more extraordinary, despite being a nine-hour drive away, they thought nothing of getting in the car to come and pick up Louie and give him a chance.
“They were fully committed to making it work,” Torres said. “They understood Louie’s fears and were patient with him.”
Now, what once seemed impossible has become a reality: Louie has been adopted into a happy and loving home. Torres shared a video updating followers on Louie’s adoption. “I’m hoping his story encourages more people to give these dogs a chance and understand that adopting a dog like Louie takes patience and commitment, but it can also be incredibly rewarding,” Torres said.
There was a time when Louie appeared to have given up hope. Now he’s looking forward to a happy future.
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