Tears As Dog in Shelter Over 1,000 Days Taken To See Christmas Lights

The internet has been reduced to tears by a dog who has spent over 1,450 days in a shelter getting to enjoy a car ride and see some pretty Christmas lights.

Julie Saraceno, a volunteer at the Benton Franklin Humane Society in Kennewick, Washington, shared a heartbreaking video of Kylie, a boxer and German shepherd mix, getting to venture out of her kennel and see some festive decorations. The video, posted on Instagram (@jsaraceno), shows Kylie looking mesmerized by the sparkling trees and fairy lights that adorned the houses.

Seeing how happy this experience made Kylie is a memory that Saraceno, 43, will always cherish. She told Newsweek that the shelter pup "was so excited" to experience the festive cheer and "loved seeing all the lights" outside.

Kylie, now six, arrived at the shelter on December 14, 2021, and before that, she'd been at a shelter in Spokane for a year. After spending more than 1,450 days at the shelter, Kylie has had some interest in that time, but she's still waiting for her forever home.

Kylie, six, a German shepherd and boxer mix, enjoying Christmas lights. Kylie spent Christmas Eve last year enjoying a car ride to see local decorations. Kylie, six, a German shepherd and boxer mix, enjoying Christmas lights. Kylie spent Christmas Eve last year enjoying a car ride to see local decorations. @jsaraceno / Instagram

"She is the happiest dog I know, and she is always so incredibly optimistic and grateful to have a break from her kennel," Saraceno said. "She loved going on this car ride to see all the lights and do some people-watching.

"She was adopted for a brief period a few months ago, but she recently injured her leg and needed surgery to fix it and the adopters couldn't afford to pay for it. So, they took her back to the shelter to get the healthcare she needed. The surgery went well, though, and she's recovering fantastically."

The video of Kylie going on a trip to see the Christmas lights was captured on Christmas Eve 2023 and it went viral with over 39,600 views on Instagram. While it melted plenty of hearts, it still was not enough to generate any adoption interest.

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A post shared by Julie Saraceno (@jsaraceno)

It's the same story this Christmas, too, as Kylie looks to be spending another holiday season at the Benton Franklin Humane Society. Saraceno reposted the adorable clip from Christmas Eve last year to show that Kylie is still waiting to be adopted and it's captured even more attention this time, with more than 167,000 views and 11,000 likes at the time of writing.

Saraceno is hopeful that Kylie's day will come as this sweet girl certainly deserves a loving family to call her own. "I would love nothing more than to see Kylie go home for the holidays," Saraceno told Newsweek.

"The video got positive attention and lots of views, but nobody has stopped by to meet her or expressed interest in adopting her. People will occasionally email or express interest, but so far it's only been that one family a few months ago who came forward."

The Instagram video has amassed over 280 comments so far, with many people thanking Saraceno for giving Kylie this special experience and sharing their hopes that one day she will find a home.

One comment reads, "This is a wonderful idea. We will take our rescues tonight! Please adopt, don't shop!"

Another person wrote, "Thank you for a momentary evening of real life and real joy for her!"

While one Instagram user commented, "Kylie deserves all the good things in life. Can't believe she still hasn't found a forever home."

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