Heartbreak for Senior Dog Whose Adopters Canceled Just Before Christmas

A senior shelter dog has had his dreams of being adopted just before Christmas crushed in the most devastating of ways.

“Manny came to us after someone thought he had been hit by a car. He was lying motionless in the middle of the road, seemingly ready to give up,” a spokesperson for Pet Rescue Solutions, the shelter in South El Monte, California, where he resides, told Newsweek.

The person who came across him that fateful day wasn’t willing to give up on him just yet. “They stopped to move him to safety and realized he was still alive—just exhausted, emaciated, and covered in mange,” Pet Rescue Solutions said.

When he arrived at the shelter, a quick investigation uncovered that Manny not only had owners previously, but that they were easily contactable.

Yet, for whatever reason, they wanted nothing to do with Manny. “When he tried to get in contact with them, they never even answered the door,” Pet Rescue Solutions said. “As a senior dog, he likely spent over a decade loving and trusting them, only to be turned away.”

Since then the shelter has been putting all of its efforts into finding Manny a family “who won’t give up on him, no matter what.”

That’s no easy feat. Senior dogs struggle to get adopted compared to younger canines. In 2021, a study published in the journal Animals looked at the most commonly shared characteristics of shelter dogs. Researchers found that long-term shelter dogs were more often of older age, male, of large size, neutered, and considered a “dangerous breed.”

Manny certainly fits into some of those categories. However, what Manny has on his side is his resilience and warmth. “Manny finds comfort in being close to people,” Pet Rescue Solutions said. “He’ll happily lay by your side for hours, soaking up love and companionship. While he’s made an incredible physical recovery, his heart still aches for someone to call his own.”

That’s what made what happened to him just prior to Christmas so devastating for everyone involved. Manny had attracted adoption interest from a visitor who, all being well, would have taken him home just before Christmas.

Then something happened that is, sadly, all too common in the animal shelter world: they backed out. Pet Rescue Solutions said: “Just an hour before his meet-and-greet, they said Manny was ‘too big’ for them. He weighs only about 20 pounds. It broke our hearts, but Manny is still holding on to hope.”

A video showing Manny at the shelter, reeling from seeing their hopes of a “Christmas miracle” crushed, was shared to the animal rescue’s TikTok page.

It’s difficult to know what the future holds for Manny in 2025 but despite his advancing years, the shelter remains hopeful that this sweet, loving, senior pup can find the simple, happy existence he deserves at this point in his life.

“Manny loves oversized stuffed toys, building cozy blanket nests, and mealtime. He also adores gentle pets and belly rubs. Despite being a senior, he still has a spring in his step and enjoys little adventures,” the shelter said. “The perfect home for Manny would be one filled with love, patience and warm spots to curl up and feel safe. Maybe a daily walk… he does not ask for much.”