Upon seeing a dog in a shelter, one may not immediately grasp the depths of his backstory or the sadness reflected in his eyes. This was particularly true for Rhoudy, a three-year-old Terrier mix, whose story stunned everyone at the Greenville Humane Society in South Carolina. Initially thought to be just another abandoned dog, the discovery of a small note left with Rhoudy by his previous owners revealed much more. The note, written by a child and accompanied by a drawing of Rhoudy, moved everyone to tears. Though brief, the message on the note was profoundly touching, making it a difficult read for his caregivers. It read:
“We love you Rhoudy. I will miss you, Rhoudy. But you’re going home! And I hope your people love you as much as I do.”
After Rhoudy’s arrival at the shelter, the staff endeavored to learn more about his background, but they were unable to locate his family. Left with little else to do, the shelter responded to the heartfelt note through a post on social media, hoping Rhoudy’s human sibling would see it.
“We know how hard it was to say goodbye. But you were so brave and so strong. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made, but he knows how much you love him,” Greenville Humane Society posted on Facebook.
The shelter’s response garnered widespread attention online, touching the hearts of many across the nation. They aimed to assure everyone that Rhoudy was well cared for and in a good place.
“He’s doing so good. He’s gone for lots of walks and has all of the toys you brought him in his bed. He’s being given so much love. Yes, he misses you. But he will always love you. Don’t you ever forget that, OK,” the rescue added.
Despite his challenging beginnings, Rhoudy is now thriving, far removed from the life of a shelter dog confined to a kennel. He shows his true spirit around the shelter staff and clearly needs a permanent, loving home. Rhoudy is full of energy, enjoys playing with other dogs, and loves being the focus of attention.
The most touching part of the post read, “So, dry those tears. And put that smile back on your face. Because we’ve got you. We’ve got Rhoudy. And we promise, with everything we have, to give Rhoudy all the love you did during his time with you. We promise to find him a home that will love him just as much as you do. We know it’s hard. But we’ve got you. We promise.”
If you are interested in adopting Rhoudy or any other pet from the Greenville Humane Society, click here.