Animal Rescue Volunteer Fosters Shelter Dog Who's Never Had a Family or Home BeforeGabrielle LaFrankWed, October 7, 2026 at 9:45 PM UTC
Every shelter dog deserves to graduate to a loving, luxurious home, and it doesn’t matter whether that home is temporary or permanent. Foster dogs learn so much from their first families, too, but some unlucky dogs don’t even get the chance to live in a foster home.
Sadly, that’s precisely what happened to a happy-go-lucky Pit Bull named Gordita who’s spent her entire life searching for a family. The three-year-old came to Border Tails Rescue from Aruba to give her the best chance of meeting her humans, but so far she’s had no luck.
Animal rescue volunteers @eric.and.joey were saddened and stunned to learn that she had received zero adoption applications despite going viral recently, but Eric was especially moved by the resilient dog’s plight.
How has no one adopted this sweetheart yet? Gordita is a social butterfly around people (she’s not a fan of cats or other dogs, however), and she loves tagging along wherever her pals are going. She’s got so much love to give to anyone who will stop to say hi, so I can only imagine how affectionate she’ll be with her forever family.
Viewers are already emotional about this dog’s heartbreaking story, but one commenter, @mspaulamurdoch, put everyone over the edge when she shared her dog’s rescue story.
Related: Gentle Shelter Dog Was Adopted and Returned Twice, but His Forever Family Just Drove 22 Hours to Rescue Him
She wrote, “My soul dog was in a high-kill shelter, then over 6 months with a rescue, and no one understood why, as he was the sweetest, well-behaved boy. But then I quickly realized he was waiting for me. He was 15 when he passed, and we had an amazing 6 years together.”
She continued, speaking to Eric, “Maybe Gordita is waiting for you!”
Street Dog to Shelter Dog to Foster Dog
Eric must have felt the same way about the resilient rescue dog, because he turned around 10 minutes after leaving the rescue just to be with her. There was no way he was leaving her in a kennel for one more night! It may have been a spur-of-the-moment decision to foster Gordita, but it would change her life.
Gordita may have only just arrived at her foster home, but she’s settling in remarkably fast. She must be loving it! After three years of living as a street dog and a shelter dog at Border Tails Rescue, this new space must feel like a 5-star hotel.
“Can you imagine how excited and special she feels to wake up and not be in a kennel?” @okbrooke18 wondered. “Her energy is telling you how much she appreciates being with you. Instant love!”
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Eric isn’t the only one who’s fallen head over heels for this foster dog. She’s gained millions of new fans practically overnight, and, as of October 7, she even has her very first adoption appointment!
Regardless of how this appointment goes, however, Eric should be immensely proud of himself for changing this dog’s life for the better. That’s what fostering and volunteering are all about.
This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Oct 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: Nature