‘Beautiful’ dog returned to shelter for heartbreaking reason

For many animal lovers, the sight of crowded dog shelters is deeply moving.

Often, these pups arrive after their owners can no longer look after them, whether due to financial hardship, major life changes, or other personal challenges. These shelters are also home to strays and dogs rescued from neglect or abuse.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) estimates that at any given moment, there are around 100,000 dogs awaiting adoption in UK shelters and rescues. While many of these dogs hold out hope for a loving home, some experience the heartbreak of being returned to the shelter by new owners.

This is exactly the case of Lucy, a six-year-old Labrador Retriever at Valley Animal Centre in Fresno, California. In a TikTok clip shared by Jackie, who appears to work at the centre, the pup can be seen trembling on the floor with a sorrowful look on her face.

Jackie reveals that Lucy was brought back to the shelter for being “too boring and nervous.” The TikTok post’s caption further details Lucy’s needs: “Lucy is a dog that needs to learn to be confident and will need lots of patience in order for her to feel comfortable in the environment that she is in. She does do well with dogs/cats.”

Jackie further notes that Lucy isn’t suited for immediate exposure to new surroundings, highlighting the careful consideration required when rehoming such sensitive animals. The brief video has amassed 379,300 views, 82,500 likes and more than 2,000 comments to date.

One user shared their bewilderment: “Forever confused why people like this adopt animals in the first place. Boring and nervous?? Boring??

“I hate when people treat animals as if they’re nothing more than an entertainment source. She’s a whole soul. She deserves love.

“She deserves to be at peace and to be loved just for being herself.” A second user was heartbroken: “Sweet baby. This breaks my heart more than I can say.”

A third person shared their sorrow: “This is so heartbreaking. Sweet Lucy girl, you deserve so much better. Praying you find the most perfect forever home beautiful girl.”

Another viewer, deeply moved by Lucy’s situation, said: “I’m sobbing so hard this was so uncalled for.”

A fifth comment pointed out: “People don’t understand that a dog needs time to adjust to their life outside of shelters. She wasn’t ‘too boring and nervous’, the owners were just too ignorant and impatient.”

Valley Animal Centre has provided further information about Lucy on its website, describing her as a “very sweet nervous girl.”

The centre also adds: “Lucy at the moment is going to have to be a Foster to Adopt. Before she is able to get spayed and be available for adoption, we would want her to just lose a little bit of weight.”

The information further states that Lucy “loves to go for walks”, is motivated by treats and would “love to be a couch dog and be able to watch movies and series with someone.”