She ended up here because the person who loved her ran out of options.

Her owner lost his job.

Then he lost his home.

For a while, the two of them lived in his car.

He couldn’t leave her alone while he went to interviews.

And today, he faced the kind of choice no one is ever prepared for… realizing that loving her meant letting her go.

He’s had Dream since she was six weeks old.

She’s six years old now.

For her entire life, she’s been his constant.

When he surrendered her, he broke down, not quietly, not briefly, but completely.

The kind of grief that comes with doing what you believe is best while it still shatters you.

Dream is a big, gentle dog. Calm. Dog-friendly.

She looks tired, because the last chapter of her life has been heavy but she has known love every single day she’s been alive.

Her owner asked for just one thing: that Dream go to a foster home. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere safe.

His hope was that if he could get back on his feet, he might come back for her, or, if not, that she would find the kind of home he couldn’t give her right now.

He tried the programs designed to keep people and their pets together. Every single one was full.

Today, Dream is one of nearly 500 dogs in a crowded shelter, after spending six years as someone’s entire world.

She doesn’t know why he’s gone.

She doesn’t know why everything changed overnight.

What she does know is that this place is loud, unfamiliar, and frightening… and that she doesn’t belong here.

Dream needs a foster, adopter, or rescue immediately.

If you can help Dream, by fostering or adopting, she is at DeKalb County Animal Services:

3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA

Sometimes the hardest shelter stories aren’t about neglect or cruelty.

They’re about love… and what happens when it isn’t enough to stop life from falling apart

Credit: K9Kait