Most of the time, dogs that come to shelters have suffered some kind of abuse from their previous owners, they feel vulnerable and do not trust people, but it is up to us to make their lives perfect again. Once they are adopted, it can take them too long to adapt to their new home and especially to the attention that their new owner gives them.

Kayla Filoon is an expert on this topic. The 20-year-old student has worked as a dog walker in Philadelphia, so she’s used to seeing sweet, adorable dogs all the time. One day, Kayla met Russ , an abused pit bull who lived in an animal shelter, and fell completely in love with him. Russ feels so grateful to his new owner that he doesn’t hesitate to do something beautiful when he’s next to her.

A special connection arose between the two.

When the girl met Russ , he was missing fur on his tail and ears, plus he was too thin, weighed only 18 kilos and was really scared. Still, when their eyes connected they knew they were made for each other. During an interview for the website, Kayla explained how she felt:

“He was sitting there very calmly looking at me and I thought, ‘he’s adorable! I have to take him with me right now.’”

He later returned for it, and the dog had barely moved. He was in the same position she had left him in, just remaining silent while the other dogs were barking and causing a fuss.

A dog with excellent education

After Kyla spent 45 minutes with the dog, she realized he knew basic training commands like sit, down, and stay, which made her think he had an owner, but he never showed up. The shelter was overcrowded, with 15 dogs recently having to be euthanized, so Filoon grabbed Russ and, without hesitation, took him home with her.

“He stayed sitting in the passenger seat. I remember thinking he was perfect.”

Russ realized how important Kayla was

Not only did he care, he also loved her deeply. He followed her around the house and she always wanted to be by her side. Even one night when Kayla was sitting on the couch,  Russ got up off the floor to hug her and be with her.

And he showed it with a beautiful gesture

Kayla’s aunt took the photo showing Russ hugging her and posted it on social media with a message that read:

“This is the love my niece’s dog feels towards her. Talking about being grateful. There are simply no words to describe the true sweetness of this photo.”

We all need a sweet Russ  in our life

Adopt and save the life of those who need it most. The animals will thank you in a truly beautiful way. You will not regret!