Terminally Ill Senior Dog Left in Shelter—but There’s a Heartwarming Twist

A woman online has shared a powerful testament to the healing power of love—and the existence of miracles.

In a post to TikTok, Ciera Mueller shared her journey in adopting a senior dog from a local shelter, despite being told he only had one year to live. What ensued was a year and a half of unexpected miracles—but not without challenges. Mueller, 23, spoke to Newsweek about how she was drawn to the timid dog, named Ruthie, who faced a grim prognosis.

Mueller said met Ruthie while volunteering at the Humane Society of North Texas. One January day, she found the pup standing in the hallway “shaking,” unsure if the dog was cold or scared. So, she sat with her.

“I fell in love with her instantly,” Mueller said. She immediately inquired about adopting her, but the shelter staff gave her a heartbreaking warning.

They told Mueller that Ruthie had mammary gland cancer and a prognosis of about one year to live. The news broke her heart.

“I couldn’t leave her in there, spending the rest of her life in a cage in a stressful, loud environment,” she said. The next day, she took Ruthie home as a hospice foster, determined to give the sweet dog a comfortable and loving final chapter.

From Reserved Pup to Family Firecracker

Ruthie quickly settled into Mueller’s home, where she was welcomed by five college roommates who became her “five aunties,” Mueller said.

The dog’s timidness began to fade as she was showered with love. And, before long, Ruthie was running around the house with “zoomies and constantly wagging her little nub of a tail.” Her energy left everyone who met her in disbelief at her prognosis.

“Her health seemed to improve within a week of fostering her,” Mueller said. “I was unsure if her cancer was spreading, so I took it day by day and tried to enjoy all the time I could with her.”

The months that followed were filled with love and joy, but also a low-level anxiety for Mueller, who didn’t know when Ruthie would decline.

A Twist of Fate

A turning point came in November 2024, nearly a year after the adoption, when Ruthie suddenly became paralyzed from the neck down after jumping off Mueller’s bed. She raced her to a veterinary neurologist, who performed an MRI. The diagnosis was a ruptured disc in her spine, but a secondary, life-altering discovery was made.

The doctors told Mueller that Ruthie’s cancer had not metastasized, and her scans were negative in regard to any tumors. Mueller was shocked and overjoyed.

Ruthie, a true fighter, began to recover. On Thanksgiving Day, she was able to stand again, and with Mueller and her family’s help, she learned to walk.

“She fully recovered,” Mueller said. After this challenging period, she could finally focus on the amazing news. “I was ecstatic,” she added.

Now, a year and a half after the initial adoption, Ruthie is “happier and healthier than ever.” Mueller has officially adopted her, and the senior dog fills her days with “walks, napping on the couch, treats and watching the latest reality TV shows.”