Dogs are our best friends.
The most faithful pets you will ever find. Dogs love us unconditionally. A golden retriever has been called Detroit’s saddest dog owing to his pictures that surfaced online after his owner’s death.
The golden retriever named Rio had his life changed completely after the sudden demise of his owner. After 10 years of unconditional love, Rio was now left alone.
Rio was sent to Detroit Animal Care and Control since there was no one left to take care of him. It wasn’t long before everyone realized there was something wrong with this dog.
Rio was depressed to be taken away from his home and being forced to live with strangers. He stopped eating and did not interact with shelter workers. And the worst thing was that he did not even look anyone in the eye.
He spent a good part of his day facing a corner wall with a sad expression. It was as if he was still mourning for his owner’s death. Rio was finding it difficult to adjust living in the shelter. So the workers had a word with DDR (Detroit Dog Rescue) for help.
Rio did not show any signs of improvement at the Detroit Dog Rescue Center. He didn’t really want anything to do with this world anymore.
The rescue workers had no idea what to do with Rio to help him ease his pain. People don’t realize how sensitive and intuitive dogs are. They are sensitive to the events happening around them.
Millman-Rinaldi found the solution to this problem. Rio needed a new home where he could be loved again. Fortunately, the DDR found a new home for Rio soon.
Ryan Callahan was a DDR volunteer who was willing to adopt Rio to help him through his tough period. He already owned two family dogs and another foster dog as well.
Ryan posted that they were able to provide him the much needed ‘one-on-one’ time. Rio was given his own room in Ryan’s home office to make him feel comfortable and warm.
With constant love, Rio gradually cheered up. He started lying down beside Ryan’s feet and then gradually moved up to his lap.
It was heartwarming to see Rio hug Callahan. He just needed to be a part of someone’s life again. Hopefully, the grief will soon be forgotten, and Rio will go back to being the cheerful dog he was.