Shelter Makes Heartbreaking Sign Introducing The "Invisible Dog"

Emma Ackerman
Sep 08, 2023
Sep 08, 2023

Meet Carlie, a dog with a rather unique story, at the Humane Society of Broward County. Unlike his energetic and outgoing friends, Carlie is a bit on the shy side. He's the kind of dog who prefers solitude and isn't particularly fond of making new acquaintances. So, whenever strangers wander into the shelter, Carlie always finds hiding spots, making himself nearly invisible. As he avoided interacting with adopters, he stayed in the shelter for so long, forcing the staff to take action and seek a solution to help him find a loving home.

Source: Humane Society of Broward County

Carlie's journey began when she arrived at the shelter as a puppy. Before this, she had been a street dog on the Cayman Islands, and her early experiences had left her deeply scared. At the shelter, Carlie struggled to adjust to her new environment.

@humanebroward Oh Carlie ???????? Carlie is a young girl that is very timid and nervous. She hides in the back of her kennel where she cannot be seen, so she is overlooked by adopters walking by ???? She is so overlooked that she has now become our shelter’s longest resident ???? Carlie wants to trust and if you give her time she comes to you and leans right up against you. This one-year-old girl is gentle and has a lot of love to offer, but prefers to be in her kennel where she feels safe. She would do best in a quiet home where she is the only dog. Carlie is a true Diamond in the Ruff and will need a patient adopter that doesn’t introduce new things too quickly. Can you be the patient forever parent that Carlie is waiting for? ❤️ If you cannot adopt, please share Carlie’s post and consider donating to her care, link is in our bio ???? Carlie’s friends at @JRDUNN JEWELERS have kindly sponsored her adoption fee ❤️ To meet Carlie, please start by submitting an application (link is in bio). We’re open 7 days a week. The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Adoptions open at 11am. Call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 with any questions. #rescuedog #shelterdog #adoptme #adoptdontshop #humanebroward #fortlauderdale #florida #dogvideos #foryoupage #southflorida #miami #browardcounty #miamidade #dogs #dogoftheday #dogsoftiktok #dogshelter #animalshelter #fyp #foryou #shepherd #shepherdmix #shepherdsoftiktok #saddog #germanshepherdmix ♬ original sound - Humane Society Broward County

Initially, Carlie displayed curiosity about her surroundings, but over time, the shelter's busy atmosphere overwhelmed her. She began to withdraw further into herself. What she truly needed was a loving forever home.

"Carlie did not do well in the shelter environment, and she became increasingly shy and withdrawn," explained Susan Leonti, the digital marketing specialist at the Humane Society of Broward County. "Her fearfulness caused her to hide at the back of her kennel, where she was not visible to people walking by. She was so well hidden that she became known as the invisible dog."

Source: Humane Society of Broward County

Carlie's caretakers at the shelter were determined to help her find the loving home she deserved. Realizing that she was often overlooked by potential adopters, they devised a plan to boost her chances.

"We put the sign on Carlie’s kennel so potential adopters that were walking by would stop and notice her,” Leonti said. “Even though we were seeing progress in Carlie’s behavior, she was still incredibly shy and very hidden compared to the other dogs in our shelter."

@humanebroward Please share for Carlie ???????? Carlie has been waiting for a home for almost half a year ???? That’s longer than any other dog at our shelter ???? Sadly, Carlie used to hide in the back of her kennel, where adopters could not see her, so she went overlooked for months. She was so hidden that she became known as the invisible dog ???? Well, we’ve been working with Carlie every day with positive reinforcement and we moved her to our most public kennel to help socialize her, and guess what? This sweet girl is slowly coming out of her shell! ???????? Carlie is now learning to trust and is coming to the front of her kennel. She’s even getting the courage to ask for treats with her paw! ☺️ Carlie is what we call a “Pup in Progress” and she is coming along so well! She is a young girl, only 1 years-old. She has so much life ahead of her and plenty of time to become the confident dog she really wants to be. Now, all Carlie needs is an adopter or foster family that will let her continue her progress at her own pace, but in the comfort of a loving home. Can you adopt or foster dear Carlie? ????❤️ If you cannot adopt or foster, please share Carlie’s post! ???? Carlie’s adoption fee has kindly been sponsored by @JRDUNN JEWELERS To meet her, please start by submitting an application online (link is in bio) then come on in. We’re open 7 days a week. The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Adoptions open at 11am. Call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 with any questions ❤️ #rescuedog #shelterdog #adoptme #adoptdontshop #humanebroward #fortlauderdale #florida #dogvideos #southflorida #miami #browardcounty #miamidade #dogs #dogoftheday #dogsoftiktok #dogshelter #animalshelter #fyp #foryou #shepherd #shepherdmix #shepherdsoftiktok #germanshepherdmix #pupsinprogress #shydog #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Humane Society Broward County

This innovative sign told Carlie's story as the "invisible dog" and was placed on her kennel. The shelter also shared her story on social media.

It didn't take long for the magic to happen. Thanks to the sign and the subsequent social media posts, Carlie's life took a remarkable turn.

Source: Humane Society of Broward County

"The video of Carlie and her sign are what helped Carlie get adopted,” Leonti revealed. “Her new mom saw her heartbreaking video on Facebook and knew she was meant to be Carlie’s forever family.”

@humanebroward Carlie was adopted!! ????❤️ She’s no longer our “Invisible Dog”! ???? Carlie had been waiting at our shelter for almost 180 days, but due to her fear and shyness, she was rarely noticed by adopters ???? Well, Carlie’s new parents definitely noticed her and it was love at first sight! ???? They were forwarded her video online by a friend and they saw that Carlie had so much potential ???? They drove all the way from Lee County, FL because they knew they could give Carlie the safe and loving home she needed to thrive in ❤️ They even sent us an update photo and a message saying “Carlie is doing absolutely great!”, “It’s only been two days and she is already starting to bloom.” We’re so happy for Carlie and so grateful to her new parents! ❤️ Happy Friday! ☺️ To adopt one of our wonderful pets, please fill out a pre-adoption application (link in bio) and come on in today ❤️ The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL and opens daily at 11 a.m. If you have any questions call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 ❤️ If you can’t adopt, please consider donating to our shelter through the link in our bio ❤️ #adopted #goinghome #dogrescue #adoptdontshop #humanebroward #rescuedog #dogsoftiktok #dogvideos #dog #shelterdog #dogshelter #home #germanshepherdmix #shepherdmix #fyp #foryou #feelgood #happydog #happyday #friday #friyay #tgif #happyfriday #wholesome #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Humane Society Broward County

Carlie's new family traveled over two hours to adopt her, and she finally found a forever home where she could flourish. Although it took some time, with the support of her friends at the shelter, Carlie ended up exactly where she belonged.

Source: Humane Society of Broward County

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