Couple Fostered ‘Most Shut Down' Senior Dog-Weeks Later, Came the Twist
A scared senior dog who spent months shut down in the shelter system is slowly learning what love looks like after a life-changing turn of events with her foster parents.
Daisy arrived at I Heart Dogs Rescue and Animal Haven in Warren, Michigan, after spending nearly three months at a high-kill shelter in Tennessee, where she had been since February, foster parent Sophia told Newsweek via TikTok. While little is known about her past, shelter staff believe she may have come from a neglect or abuse situation, noting she is the “most shut down” dog they’ve had in a while.
Still, the couple took a chance on 9-year-old Daisy, bringing her in as a foster in early May. However, Sophia shared on her TikTok account, @sophiaheikaa20, that Daisy’s transition into home life was difficult. Her May 12 clip showed Daisy refusing to leave their bathroom, retreating from any interaction as she adjusted to unfamiliar surroundings. The couple sat on the bathroom floor with Daisy and tried to comfort her in any way.
Daisy stayed in the bathroom for nearly a week before finally decompressing, Sophia said. She began running outside on the dog leash through the neighborhood. She relaxed on doggy beds with blankets and stuffed toys. The more she opened up, the more the couple fell in love, and within a couple of weeks of fostering her, they decided to keep her, making the adoption official on May 14.
Despite Daisy’s initial fear, which she still shows occasionally, she is already showing signs of comfort in predictable routines. She has developed a love of peanut butter and a memory foam bed-two small comforts that have become central to helping her feel secure.
“We absolutely love her, though, and spoil her as much as we can,” Sophia said. “Our goal is to also let her know not all humans are bad and build her trust back.”
Daisy’s happy ending is especially meaningful given that senior dogs are often among the most overlooked in shelters. A 2021 study published in the journal Animals, which examined 975 shelter dogs, found that senior dogs spent an average of 26.4 days waiting for adoption, compared with 19.8 days for adult dogs and 14.8 days for younger dogs.
Adopters might hesitate because they believe senior pets are less likely to bond with them, which an article from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) states is not the case. Owners with older pets tend to easily bond because of the animals’ calmer dispositions, familiarity with home environments and previous training. Others might worry about future medical costs or having less time with an older pet.
“It makes me SOOO happy to know she will never spend another day in a shelter for her golden years ahead,” Sophia said.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 2:50 PM.