Making magic happen for a shy dog

When people come together for the sake of an animal, the results can feel a little bit like magic. Just ask Ariel, a shy pup with floppy ears and fur the color of a pumpkin-spice latte.

She’d probably tell you that her favorite part of life these days is slurping up frothy pup cups, feeling the wind in her fur on car rides, and realizing that people can be pretty great after all. But her life wasn’t always so carefree.

When Ariel arrived at the Regional Animal Shelter of King William County, she was cloaked in fear — unsure of her surroundings and wary of everything.

“We couldn’t even touch her,” says Grace Rohler, the shelter’s program coordinator. “We couldn’t go into her kennel. Any noise in the shelter would send her scrambling into the corner, trying to make herself as small as possible.”

[Faces of No-Kill: A scared dog learns to trust]

The staff, however, saw the gentle dog behind the fear. They knew that with patience, kindness, and a little creativity, she could blossom into the happy, confident pup she was always meant to be.

“There’s something about Ariel that I’ll never quite be able to put into words,” says Grace. “She came to us unsure, scared, and carrying the weight of whatever life had been before she landed here. But little by little, she let us in. She learned that she was safe and that love wasn’t something that could disappear. Watching her transform was one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever witnessed.”

Little by little, Ariel’s world grew bigger — and so did the shelter’s ideas for helping dogs like her. That creativity was already flowing when Best Friends staff members Anna Gachechiladze and Erica Chandler began working with the shelter. Best Friends collaborates with shelters across the country to help them save more lives. Providing this kind of one-on-one support — from brainstorming new programs to cleaning kennels or lending an extra set of hands during adoption events — is one of the ways Best Friends is helping shelters nationwide reach no-kill.

“We have regular check-ins with the (Regional Animal Shelter) team — usually weekly or biweekly — to see what’s working and where we can help,” says Anna. “Sometimes that means talking through adoption or social media plans, other times helping with grants or mentoring. It’s really about supporting their goals and being a sounding board when they need it.”

One idea that came out of those conversations was to expand and promote their doggy day out program. The shelter team ran with it — and turned it into something uniquely theirs, inviting volunteers to take dogs out for a “day of joy,” complete with pup cups, trail hikes, and snuggly couch potato sessions.

On the shelter’s Facebook page, they wrote: “These adventures mean the world to our pups. You could be the reason a dog’s day, or life, turns around.”

And it worked. Not only did the program help shy dogs like Ariel gain confidence, but it also caught the community’s attention and inspired more people to get involved.

[Shelters get creative to showcase adoptable pets]

“Over the past year, it's been our focus to increase community awareness and create those deep ties within the community because they're where our main support comes from,” says Grace. “We couldn't do it without the support that we get from them. And we've been forever grateful to see the true turnout of our community when we need it most.”

That community connection made all the difference for dogs like Ariel. The shelter’s stronger social media presence helped her adopters discover her — and soon she was home relaxing, playing, and being the silly, snuggly, bubbly pup she was always meant to be.

“Ariel’s adopters shared with me that they feel truly blessed to have found her,” Grace says. “Hearing that brought me such peace. Knowing she’s loved and cherished the way she deserves … that’s all any of us ever want for them. I’m grateful every day that she came through our doors and that she left them for a life filled with love.”

When people come together for the sake of an animal, magical things happen — fear turns into trust, and a shy dog discovers she’s safe, loved, and finally home.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.