Neglected Husky Dog Gets a Second Chance and Helps Pet Nonprofit Reach 10 Million Adoptions
Courtesy of AP Content Services/Delcia Lopez
PetSmart Charities recently reached a heart-warming milestone: 10 million adoptions.
The De La Rosa family's decision to give a forever home to a previously neglected Siberian husky named Balto also marked the nonprofit's ten-millionth pet adoption.
Balto's big moment nearly didn't happen, as the De La Rosas were not looking to adopt a dog when they first met Balto.
"We were going to PetSmart to buy an algae eater for our aquarium," Vanessa De La Rosa tells PEOPLE of the day her family met Balto at a Texas pet store.
"We saw that PetSmart Charities was having their pet adoption event that weekend, so they had the tent outside. And before we went into the store, we were like, 'Let's just browse around,' " Vanessa adds.
As many pet lovers know, browsing adoptable animals can often lead to leaving with a newly adopted furry friend.
Vanessa, her husband Ezri, and their son — one of the couple's three children— soon gravitated towards one dog, a husky with piercing blue eyes and a calm, playful demeanor.
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"The more my son interacted with Balto, the more I could see the connection between them. Once he [Balto] was on the leash, somebody gave my son a dog toy, and he was playing with Balto, and Balto never once made us nervous around him," Vanessa says of this initial enchanting encounter with her future dog. "He was very calm and never barked."
"He fetched too. To me, that's a plus," Ezri adds.
Courtesy of AP Content Services/Delcia Lopez
Twenty minutes later, the De La Rosas had come up with the name Balto and realized that their "browsing" had turned into a plan to bring another dog home to their two canines.
Their decision to adopt Balto was sealed when they learned more about the dog's backstory. Before his rescue, Balto was living chained up outside, enduring the elements with minimal human interaction.
"We had to take him," Ezri says of his reaction to Balto's history. For Vanessa, she knows Balto "needed to be somewhere where he didn't have to be chained up, where he had space to run around and interact with his environment."
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The De La Rosas decided they were happy to give Balto that new life.
"I signed the paperwork, and we completely forgot about the algae eater," Vanessa says.
Since moving in with his forever family, Balto, who came to the shelter shy and fearful from the neglect he endured, has continued to open up. After a gradual introduction to his two canine siblings, Balto is now buddies with the De La Rosa family's other dogs.
Courtesy of AP Content Services/Delcia Lopez
"They play together. They dig holes together. They tear up toys together. Like we were saying, all our pups are almost like brothers because they've really bonded. But it definitely did take some time to get him to interact and get him comfortable in the new setting," Vanessa says.
"Our kids have definitely taken a liking to him too. In their eyes, Balto does no wrong, and so they're always spoiling him with belly rubs, and they enjoy taking him on walks," she adds.
It didn't take long for the De La Rosas to see what a special dog Balto is, and knowing he is also PetSmart Charities' 10 millionth adoption only makes him more wonderful. The canine's new owners hope that their story inspires others to give rescue pets a second chance.
"We think that's something people need to know: these pets need love. They become your best friends. They're loyal. If anything, they become loyal. And that's really special," Vanessa says.
To learn more about PetSmart Charities and how the nonprofit helps hundreds of thousands of animals find forever homes each year, visit the organization's website.
