Woman Sees Photo Of Dog With The Saddest Eyes And Knows She Needs To Help Her

Lauren Smith Greeno was browsing Petfinder, looking for a dog to foster over the holidays. She already had three dogs at home and was hoping she could help provide a safe place for a fourth to relax before finding a forever family. Suddenly, she saw a photo that stopped her in her tracks.

A dog with the saddest eyes was staring back at her, and at that moment, she knew this was the dog she’d been looking for.

“My heart broke when I saw her eyes,” Greeno told The Dodo. “They looked so haunted yet hopeful. I just felt instantly connected to her. [I] wanted to hold her.”

Ginnie and her littermates had been taken from their previous owners because they weren’t being cared for properly. They were kept outside on short leashes and had never known what it was like to lie on a bed or play with toys. They were first placed in a shelter before being taken in by Charlie’s Crusaders Pet Rescue. All of Ginnie’s siblings were adopted quickly — but for some reason, after six months, Ginnie still hadn’t found her forever home.

“Nobody wanted her,” Greeno said. “After rescuing and falling in love with Ginnie, it’s hard to comprehend what exactly turned potential adopters away. She is a gentle and affectionate girl who loves to cuddle and is a friend to everyone she meets. The rescue speculated that she wasn’t being considered because her darker coat made her harder to photograph.”

After seeing her picture and hearing her story, Greeno quickly made arrangements to go collect Ginnie and take her home. The plan was still to foster her — but as soon as she met Ginnie for the first time, Greeno had a feeling she wasn’t going to be able to let her go.

“When we picked her up from the rescue, we had her in the back of the car so that she could have space to decompress,” Greeno said. “We barely left the pickup site before she had jumped in my lap and started smothering me with kisses. I cried. She was so trusting and so open to being loved.”

Once Ginnie was home, her new “foster” family began introducing her to their other three dogs and getting her settled in. While she was a bit apprehensive, she also seemed relieved, as if she could tell from the very beginning that she was finally safe. She fit right in with her new family, and within 48 hours, Ginnie had become a foster fail.

“The second day, I brought her up to my room and let her on the bed (she had never been on a bed before),” Greeno said. “I lay down on the bed and invited her to lay next to me. Without hesitation, she sauntered over and collapsed. As soon as her head hit my pillow, she let out the sincerest sigh of relief. She just laid there on the bed with her eyes wide with what I can only describe as a mixture of amazement and profound contentment. I knew at that moment that she was home.”

Now, Ginnie is a full-blown member of the family. She has settled in so well and loves playing with her three dog siblings. She loves her new family so much and they already can’t imagine their lives without her. She’s so happy and loved. The dog with the sad eyes is long gone.

“She fills our hearts with so much joy,” Greeno said. “Whenever our eyes meet hers, her tail immediately begins to wag. She is just the embodiment of pure love and goodness, and we are so grateful to have come across her picture.”