Adopted Dog Is So Grateful He Can’t Stop Cuddling His Mom
Kayla Filoon had become quite familiar with homeless dogs.
The 20-year-old student has been working as a volunteer dog walker at ACCT Philly, an animal shelter in Philadelphia, for the past year.
But everything changed when she met Russ, a quiet, 4-year-old pit bull with patchy fur.
An Unexpected Connection
Russ arrived at the shelter in rough shape.
“He came in as a stray, and he was really beat up,” Filoon shared. “He was missing fur on his tail and ears and was terribly skinny. They told me he was about 40 pounds when he came into the shelter.”
Despite his appearance, Filoon quickly saw that there was something special about him.
“He was just sitting there calmly, staring at me,” she recalled. “And I thought, he is adorable! I need to take him now.”
A Bond Forms
Filoon returned later to check on Russ and found him in the same position, quietly sitting in the middle of the chaos of barking dogs.
She took him for a 45-minute walk, but it only took minutes for her to fall in love with him.
“He was really cuddly with me, even when we went into the yard,” she said. “He seemed like such a sweet dog, and he didn’t bark at any of the other dogs.”
She also discovered that Russ knew basic commands, suggesting he had once belonged to someone. She couldn’t understand how he ended up in such a terrible condition.
A Race Against Time
After their walk, Filoon reluctantly put Russ back in his kennel and immediately called her mom.
Her mom was skeptical, thinking it was just another fleeting attachment. But Filoon felt a sense of urgency.
The shelter was overcrowded, and recent euthanasias heightened her fear that Russ might be next, especially since he had kennel cough.
The next day, after her classes, Filoon rushed back to the shelter. She took Russ for a car ride, and he sat perfectly in the passenger seat.
The Hugging Dog
Returning to the shelter, Filoon knew she couldn’t leave without him.
With the shelter staff’s help, she quickly organized the adoption papers and took Russ home that night.
Filoon then introduced Russ to her six housemates, who quickly grew to adore him.
Though Russ needed time to adjust and recover from his kennel cough, he soon fell in love with his new home and his new mom.
One night, as Filoon was doing her homework, Russ tried to find ways to cuddle with her, ignoring the other sofa and his bed.
A friend snapped a photo of the touching moment, which quickly went viral on social media.
Filoon hopes the image will inspire others to adopt shelter dogs.
“He’s such a love bug,” she said. “He’ll put his head under my arm, or his paw over my chest. And he’ll even lay on my chest.”
A Grateful Heart
Filoon worried that Russ’s attitude might change once he settled in, but he remained the same affectionate, cuddly dog she had met at the shelter.
Kayla Filoon’s decision to adopt Russ not only changed his life but also highlighted the incredible bond that can form between shelter dogs and their new owners.
