I cannot even begin to imagine what was on Imelda’s mind that day. 

Put in a small kennel in an overcrowded shelter in Kansas, she must’ve felt so alone… and so scared.

This two-year-old pup literally couldn’t stop shaking. She backed up to the wall, trying to find some comfort. Yet all she found was loud, high-pitched noises coming from other kennels. 

Imelda looked like someone painted her face as a deeply, devastatingly sad clown. Yes, she was that traumatized! 

In no time, this heartbreaking picture traveled all over the country, leaving thousands of people in tears.

Facing Euthanasia

People couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw Imelda in such a terrible shape. Her harrowing footage soon spread rapidly across the internet, leading to many people inquiring about her situation.

The sad truth was that she was about to be put on the euthanasia list just due to her fear, and she could do nothing about it.

Luckily, her story made it to the Diamonds in the Ruff Rescue team, from Missouri, who immediately took action. 

“She made herself smaller as someone approached her in the kennel…she backed up to the wall in the kennel as if she was saying, I promise I’m good, I’ll be good, just give me a chance,” they stated in a Facebook post.

After seeing Imelda in such a bad condition, the rescue voluntarily decided to help her get a nice foster home instead of a small, tiny kennel.

In just a few days, she successfully left the shelter and found herself in a totally new environment. Even though she was still shaken by the previous circumstances, Imelda evidently felt so much better.

A nice, cozy, and quiet setup helped her relax a bit, but what she loved the most was the fact that she finally had all the love just for herself. 

She wasn’t one of many dogs at the shelter anymore. She wasn’t overlooked, and she wasn’t neglected. She was now the precious one!

A Whole New Life

Thanks to her new foster mom, Stephanie, Imelda soon quickly learned what it means to be loved. This experienced dog foster and huge dog lover accepted her with an open heart, and Imelda just couldn’t be more grateful.

She soon made friends with her other doggo siblings and became the sweetheart of the house. Despite her previous life trauma, she began to exhibit wonderful manners, such as doing potty outside and sleeping through the night without even a peep.

“She’s good with kids and other dogs.  She sleeps In her crate all night without a peep, no accidents in the crate.. she whines and paces the house when she needs to go outside, not food aggressive with either humans or dogs,” Stephanie stated in a Facebook post.

Turns out, all she needed this entire time was a safe haven – a place where she could feel at home. And now that she had it, she beautifully transformed into a brand-new dog.

Looking at her now, Stephanie cannot believe that she once faced euthanasia just because she was a fearful dog.

“She is definitely coming around. To think she was on the Euth list for “fear”.. NO REASON. Look at her bloom..her tail wags and she seems happy,” Stepahnie wrote on Facebook.

Currently, Imelda is still looking for a forever home. She’s an absolute lover and could fit in any sort of home, but her preferences are families with kids over ten years of age. 

Hopefully, her future hoomans are just around the corner, waiting for her!