Golden Retriever Wheeled To Be Put Down Rescued At The Last Minute
In a heartbreaking moment, a pup named Darla was moments away from being euthanized, but a rescue group saved her life.
A Desperate Situation Leads To Hope
Darla, a sweet but timid Golden Retriever, had been living at Laredo Animal Care Services in Texas.
Due to overcrowding, some dogs, especially those considered harder to adopt, ended up on the euthanasia list.
Source: Austin Pets Alive!
Sadly, Darla was one of those dogs, and in July 2023, she was on her way to be put down.
When the shelter staff tried to take her to the euthanasia room, Darla became terrified and couldn’t move.
Source: People
The staff placed her in a wheelbarrow, and that’s when rescuers from Austin Pets Alive! spotted her.
A Last-Minute Rescue
Clare Callison, the director of national operations at Austin Pets Alive!, was at the shelter that day, and the sight of Darla in the wheelbarrow was impossible to ignore.
Source: Austin Pets Alive!
“I knew it was around the time of day when the shelter does routine euthanasia for opening up kennel space,” Callison said to People.
After learning Darla’s only “fault” was being shy, the rescuers knew they had to step in. Jordana Moerbe, APA!’s national shelter support director, expressed their determination to save her.
“We had to pull her, we had to save her. We hope that she’s able to come out of her shell and be the happy puppy she deserves to be,” Moerbe said.
A New Life Full Of Love
After the rescue, Darla was taken to the vet for a medical checkup, where they discovered she was just an eight-month-old puppy.
Source: People
Thanks to APA!, Darla was sent to Mile High Lab Mission in Denver, Colorado, where they quickly found her a foster home.
When Darla met her new family, she started wagging her tail for the first time, a sign of the love and comfort she had never felt before.
Source: @milehighlabmission
“She was a completely different dog now,” Callison said.
On August 9th, 2023, Mile High Lab Mission shared the happy news: Darla had been adopted by a wonderful family who adores her.
Now, Darla has a life filled with the love and care she deserves.
