Heartbroken Dog Hugs Dad After He Came Back To Save Him From Shelter

Lewis Jimenez wasn’t looking for a pit bull pup when he dropped by the Austin Animal Center in 2013, but when he first saw two-year-old Titus, he fell head over heels in love with him. But when disaster struck, this love nearly came to a heartbreaking end.

Five years after adopting Titus and sharing amazing moments with him, the management company at the place where Jimenez lived told him he had to get rid of his pet or face eviction. Jimenez has nowhere else to go, and he didn’t have any friends or family who could look after Titus until he found a new place to live.

Jimenez was left with no choice. He had to take Titus back to the shelter. He promised staff he would come back for him, but that was a statement that staff heard all the time and rarely ever saw come true. As a rule, the shelter couldn’t hold dogs, but they could see how difficult it was Jimenez and felt for him.

Credit: Sarah Jurgensen Throop

Titus didn’t take well to being back in the shelter. He was happy when he got to play and run around, but in his kennel, he was clearly depressed and sad. Jimenez came back to visit Titus with his family as often as he could, and meetings were always emotional, and Titus would be overwhelmed and cry when Jimenez had to leave again.

Credit: Sarah Jurgensen Throop

But four months after Titus was placed back into the shelter, there was great news. Jimenez and his family finally managed to move out and into a more dog-friendly home – this time with a big yard for the pup to play in!

When Jimenez finally came to pick the pup up, it was so emotional that shelter staff were in tears. A photo of the two together went viral, showing Jimenez tightly embracing the pup as Titus smiled happily, looking at peace with the world.

Credit: Sarah Jurgensen Throop

Titus is doing so much better now and is glad to be home, and Jimenez, who never stopped working to get him back, is forever grateful to shelter staff for caring for Titus so well in his absence.

Feature Image Source: Austin Animal Center