Although the situation has improved a little in the last few years, shelters are still overcrowded with dogs. Due to the lack of capacity caused by the constant influx of new dogs and the lack of adoption of the current ones, many of them have to be euthanized.

In such a gloomy atmosphere, there is little that can put a smile on the face of a shelter resident. This is especially true for senior dogs who have a short time left in this world, as well as a small chance of finding a forever home. 

However, the best evidence that an apparently ordinary gift can sometimes mean the world to someone is the reaction of a canine resident of a shelter in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

That day, her stay at the shelter was finally a blessing, thanks to that very gift. 

Heartwarming Reaction

15-year-old Labrador Retriever, Sallie Mae, was never pampered by life, considering that she constantly moved from shelter to shelter. 

Before coming to Forgotten, Now Family Rescue, she was a shelter resident in Marion, South Carolina. Just when she settled there, several dogs had to be relocated due to recent storms, and Sallie Mae was one of them. 

Although it seemed that it was just one more in a series of shelters in her life, it turned out that her stay there would be a bit more comfortable than the previous ones. It was because of Chrissy Elder, a big-hearted owner to whom her shelter residents weren’t just a number. 

She showed this best with one gesture toward Sallie Mae, which made this dog so happy that she couldn’t take the smile off her face. Namely, after she found out that Sallie Mae loved toys, Chrissy bought her a full package of them.

The video she posted on TikTok via her account, @chrissyrescuer, best shows what it meant to this dog.

“Did I bring sallie mae an entire box of toys today? Yes I did. Was it worth it? Absolutely.” Chrissy wrote in the caption, stressing that this event brought immense happiness to her as well. 

Chrissy also pointed out that Sallie Mae, despite her age, does not take the smile off her face and that the toys she gave her still bring her immense joy. 

“She is an older girly, but she’s doing great. She’s just so sweet, kind and thankful for everything,” Chrissy told Newsweek. “She carries the toys around with her wherever she goes, and the dragon toy is now her best friend.”

Video That Made Many Cry

As expected, this video attracted a lot of attention and caused many interesting and heartwarming reactions. 

We decided to highlight some of the comments. 

“I am literally crying thank you for loving her!!!!” one user wrote. 

“You go Sallie Mae! Squeak to your hearts content 💖” another added. 

And the third quipped: “She deserves all the toys in the world!!!”

Chrissy is very happy that Sallie Mae managed to attract so much attention, but she also hopes that the viral reaction online will help this dog find her forever home. 

We will certainly keep our fingers crossed.