Not every animal acclimates well to our cozy shelter. Usually, these are shy, nervous, anxious dogs or cats who have spent their entire life with one family. Meeting new strangers every day while being surrounded by strange sounds and smells can stress out an insecure pet, making them miserable and prolonging their length of stay at our shelter.
This is exactly what happened with Sapphire, a beautiful longhaired calico brought to us in February. This gorgeous girl was surrendered because her owners were trying to downsize the number of cats they had at home. However, Sapphire was extremely unhappy with us. She was known for hiding and hissing, only coming out when everything was quiet. We knew that because she was so miserable, finding a forever home for her would be difficult and potentially dangerous if her behavior escalated.
A month and a half after her arrival, we made the decision to call Sapphire's previous owners to see if she could return home to the place she loved. We explained how unhappy Sapphire was and with little explanation needed, her family quickly understood and gladly came back for her. Sapphire is now back at home, in the arms of the ones she loves, and hanging out in the barn where she even has her own "home base."
Not every adoption story turns out the way we originally plan. Sometimes, they turn out better.
