Heart-Breaking Face of Dog on Day 1 v. Day 215 in Shelter: ‘Still Waiting’

Hearts have broken over a dog’s face after he spent more than 200 days in a shelter waiting for his forever home.

In a video shared by Animal House Shelter in Huntley, Illinois, 2-year-old Alaskan Malamute and American Staffordshire Terrier mix Indiana is seen wagging his tail on his first day in the shelter.

But the tone changes as the video cuts to day 215, where Indiana’s hopeful demeanor has visibly waned.

The video struck a chord with viewers, gaining more than 760,000 views on TikTok and breaking hearts.

Alongside the video, the shelter wrote: “Sweet Indiana is not giving up! But he is so ready to find his forever home. Come meet him at Animal House Shelter in Huntley, Illinois.”

Indiana was found abandoned at just five months old on the side of a roadway in Kentucky. Since arriving at the shelter, he has been waiting for the right family to come along and give him a real home.

Despite his long stay in the shelter, Indiana remains positive. A reserved dog who needs time to get comfortable with new people, he would thrive in a household with older children or adults.

While he isn’t fond of cats, he does enjoy car rides and playing in the water. He’s well-trained and knows commands including “heel,” “sit,” “quiet,” and even “hugs.”

In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent when compared to 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.

Around 850,000 animals were euthanized in shelters in 2023, a rise of 15 percent when compared to 2022. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

Seeing Indiana’s face still waiting for a home, TikTok viewers reacted in the comments.

“These videos break my heart. I just want to adopt all of the shelter dogs,” said Chrystal.

While viewer patriciadillon said: “I don’t understand why these dogs r there so long look at this sweetheart.”

“Wait. This dog is perfect,” said viewer IB, struggling to understand why Indiana was still waiting for a home. “How.”

Newsweek reached out to Animal House Shelter via email for comment.

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