Although many people are now preferring to adopt dogs from animal shelters instead of buying one from pet stores, many of the dogs adopted are returned. We have to remember that most of the dogs in animal shelters had previous owners or have lived as strays their entire lives. They have personalities and unexpected behaviors that may not be ideal for their new masters.
A man named Antony recently moved to a new town that was far from his family and friends. He felt a little lonely and decided that adopting a dog might be a great idea. Antony visited the local animal shelter and was able to find the perfect canine companion. He was told that the dog’s name is Reggie and he looked beautiful and well-cared for.
Antony wondered why no one wanted to adopt Reggie. He was one of the cutest dogs in the shelter and seemed well-behaved. Eventually, Antony took Reggie home and decided to give Reggie two weeks to see if would be able to adjust. Unfortunately for Antony, Reggie didn’t want to play or do anything.
For two weeks, Reggie didn’t want to play and he also didn’t respond to training. Reggie would just mope around the house and always looked sad. Reggie also wouldn’t respond when his name was called and he seemed like a stubborn dog. Antony did everything he could to make Reggie as comfortable as possible but he was puzzled about why Reggie didn’t like him.
Antony decided to give up and returning Reggie to the shelter would be the best for both of them. However, he remembered that a box of Reggie’s things came with him from the shelter. Antony took everything out of the box to see if there was something that would make him understand Reggie better.
In the box, Antony found a bunch of old dog toys, a sleeping pad, and a sealed letter. Curious as to what the letter contained, he opened it and read its contents. After reading the letter, Antony was shaking and in tears. He learned that Reggie’s name was actually Tank and he used to belong to a soldier named Paul Mallory who had no family and was deployed to Iraq.
The letter also contained advice about Tank’s favorite game. Tank belonged to a man who truly loved him and Antony learned that Tank was being held at the shelter until Paul came back home. Unfortunately, Paul was killed in action, and Tank was eventually made available for adoption.
Antony was sickened that he almost gave up on such a beautiful dog. As soon as he mentioned Tank’s real named and picked up his old tennis balls, Tank perked up and started wagging his tail. Antony was finally able to connect with Tank and he decided to give Tank the best home that he could ever give. Here’s a heartwarming video featuring Tank’s story.
Video Source Zoo Land via YouTube
