The Pup Who Was Taken In A Wheelbarrow To Be Put Down Gets Rescued

The sad reality is that many animals who wind up in shelters are put to death, despite the fact that the very concept of it scares all dog owners.

According to a study from 2022, Texas had the greatest proportion of animals in shelters that were euthanized for the second consecutive year.

While adoption rates have decreased, ingestion rates have increased.
The number of shelters increased. It breaks our hearts to see sick pets and dogs that are deemed less desirable put on a list for euthanasia in order to create way for other dogs.

Darla was one of the pups whose name was on that list. She was one of the lucky ones who got rescued at the last minute. Let’s see how it happened.

Frightened Darla

At the Laredo Animal Care Services facility in Laredo, Texas, lived Darla, a sweet Golden Retriever. She was characterized as a very timid puppy by the shelter staff. She struggled to adapt to life at a shelter.

The shelter had to make the terrible choice to put some animals to sleep due to overpopulation. The puppies with inferior adoption prospects were put on the euthanasia list.

One of them was Sweet Darla.

The shelter personnel attempted to take Darla to a euthanasia chamber in July 2023. She became terrified when she learned where she was going. She was unable to walk due to her failing legs.

She was carried and placed in a wheelbarrow by the shelter workers.

Members of Austin Pets Alive!, a nonprofit group that prevents animal euthanasia, were in attendance on that particular day. They came to the shelter to save several dogs by taking them with them.

On that particular day, Austin Pets Alive!’s director of national operations, Clare Callison, was also there.

“I knew it was around the time of day when the shelter does routine euthanasia for opening up kennel space,” she claimed.

A terrified Golden Retriever hiding in a blue wheelbarrow caught their attention as they were moving down the corridor. They discovered that the terrified puppy was in route to being put down.

Rescued At The Last Moment

The moment they saw her, they knew they had to rescue her.

“We had to pull her, we had to save her. We hope that she’s able to come out of her shell and be the happy puppy she deserves to be. It’s what every one of the pets in the shelter deserves, and that’s what we’re working so hard for,” Jordana Moerbe, APA!’s national shelter support director, said.

After talking to the shelter employees, Callison found out that Darla’s shyness was the only reason why she was scheduled to be put down.

Callison tenderly stroked her head, and she noticed that apart from being timid, Darla was open to love and she enjoyed her pets.

The APA! members took her to the vet, and she was given a thorough medical checkup. Darla’s rescuers found out that she was an eight-month-old puppy.

Mile High Lab Mission in Denver, Colorado, a partner of APA!, was asked to take in Darla. They quickly located her a foster family who were eager to welcome her into their home.