When Balto first arrived at Austin Animal Center, he had a nasty wound to his left eye that was causing him a lot of pain. He clearly needed special care, so quickly stepped up to help him. It was touch and go for a bit, but they were able to save his eye and get him on the road to recovery.
Even though his physical wounds healed, his emotional ones needed more time. After everything he’d been through, Balto developed separation anxiety and was struggling in the shelter environment.
“He spent about eight months in the shelter,” Luis Sanchez, director of public relations and communications at Austin Pets Alive!, told The Dodo. “He was lovable, energetic and often overlooked simply because he was a husky with separation anxiety. After a short-lived sleepover stay, he ended up back at the shelter, where he was incredibly stressed and trying to chew out of his kennel. I called my wife and told her that I would probably show up with a dog later that day.”
Sanchez began fostering Balto in the hopes of helping him relax and get one step closer to finding his forever home. He and his wife took Balto everywhere, from breweries to adoption events, and posted all over social media singing Balto’s praises. Finally, his forever family found him — including his new sister.
“A family from New Braunfels emailed saying they wanted a husky that was good with kids,” Sanchez said. “A few days later, I drove an hour out of town to visit the family’s home, and they fell in love. It was the cutest thing when their little daughter grabbed his leash and started giving him a tour of their home, saying, ‘This is my room; this is my parents’ room.’”
Balto seemed immediately relaxed around his new family, especially his new tiny human, and the day they made the adoption official, everything just felt right.
Now, Balto is thriving in his new home and loves being by his sister’s side whenever he can. He waited so long for his happy ending — and thankfully, it was worth the wait.