Betsy had been at the Humane Rescue Alliance for more than two hundred days when she was finally able to leave with a new family who was overjoyed to have her.
Betsy didn’t need to worry about feeling anxious because, as she took one last look at the shelter, she noticed a jubilant crowd of rescue staff members supporting her and cheering for her to succeed.
Ashley Valm, who is the director of adoptions at the Humane Rescue Alliance, said in an interview with The Dodo, “I had chills.” “A few of my coworkers appeared to be in tears. Everyone was extremely happy to see her off to her new home.
It was discovered that Betsy was living by herself in the Anacostia neighborhood located in Southeast Washington, DC. The employees at the shelter were immediately moved by her unabashed affection for the people they helped when she arrived.
“While you pet her, [Betsy] will gaze at you and lean gently into you,” said Valm. “She’s very affectionate.” “She’s never met a person she didn’t like.”
Betsy, on the other hand, did not get along with the other dogs as well as they did, and she found the environment of the shelter to be very stressful.
The employees at the rescue organization were aware that it could take Betsy some additional time before she was placed in the perfect home. During the time that they had to wait, they did everything in their power to ensure Betsy’s comfort. They went as far as inviting her into their personal spaces so that she could escape the commotion and noise.
Valm remarked that “She spent a lot of time in our directors’ offices, which she loved because there were no other dogs there,” explaining that this was one of the reasons she spent so much time there. “She would spend the entire day dozing off on the couch in the break room and snuggling with our employees. She was a delight to work with and a pleasure to have around the office.
When Betsy was finally adopted, the shelter was celebrating Clear the Shelters day, which is an annual drive to adopt out pets that take place all over the country. There was a hum of eager anticipation in the air.
Valm remarked that the environment was already conducive to a festive celebration.
As word began to circulate that Betsy would soon be returning to her family, the employees at the shelter communicated with one another using walkie-talkies, encouraging the rest of the community to come and say goodbye to her before she left.
They applauded and cheered and shouted words of encouragement as they watched the sweet dog that they had gotten to know so well move on to her next chapter, knowing that by displaying empathy and compassion, they had played a role in changing the course of her life.