It’s no secret that dogs do not like storms. It doesn’t matter if it’s a thunderstorm, a blizzard, or another force of nature when the weather gets rough outside our pups usually cower on the inside. As dog owners we’ve all had to weather – pun intended – at least one bad storm with our pups. This usually includes us trying our best to keep them calm and happy despite the nasty weather raging outside. We’ve all seen how scared our pooches can get, and it makes us feel really bad for them. Once during one particularly bad thunderstorm, our dog had a little accident on the carpet under the dining room table. We all have different ways of coping with anxious dogs, whether it’s giving them some medication for anxiety, making them feel secure in a covered crate, or just holding them in our arms while we lounge on the couch and watch TV.
But not all dogs get lucky having people to care for them. Some dogs are strays on the streets without anyone to make them feel safe during storms. But there was a group of shelter dogs who were well-cared for at the Homeward Bound City Pound. This animal shelter often sees its volunteers staying behind with the dogs if there is a particularly bad case of the weather – just in case the dogs get scared and need comfort, or in case the roads become inaccessible so they can still be cared for.
When one blizzard was revving up to hit the shelter, one of the volunteers agreed to spend the night with the dogs. This volunteer happened to be Shanda Antle. She settled in for the evening with the dogs, but there was one pooch in particular who was really having a hard time adjusting to the blizzard outside. Poor Hawking was absolutely nervous as possible during the snowstorm. Shanda took him under her wing and paid him extra attention during the evening. The two spent time together at the front desk computer where they watched movies together. Hawking was still quite upset by the time bedtime rolled around, so Shanda decided to do a little extra something to help him relax and sleep.
Instead of leaving him in the kennel, she set up a little bed space for the two of them in the playroom. The two of them had a sleepover that night, where she cuddled the scared Hawking so he could fall asleep. The very sweet gesture was caught on camera through the room’s surveillance camera. The shelter then shared the footage to their Facebook page, where people were touched by the woman’s kind gesture towards the shelter dog.
