The emotional moment a dog was surrendered at a shelter in Washington has gone viral on TikTok as viewers shared their heartbreak over the situation.

Millie the dog was surrendered to the Tacoma Humane Society in July and TikToker Makaira Lebo (@kai_thedogmother) was there to witness the moment.

Lebo shared the moment to TikTok in a video that was posted in July and has now been viewed over 1.5 million times, showing Millie in the parking lot looking confused as she was surrendered.

The video’s text overlay reads: “This is what your dog looks like when you take it to the shelter because you failed your dog. Scared, shaking, confused and worried. Not a clue of what they did wrong.”

Lebo, who works with the homeless population, was at the shelter herself to surrender another dog when she witnessed Millie’s abandonment. The TikTok video shows Millie shaking and pulling towards her owner’s car as the woman tried to leave her at the shelter. The owner cited relationship issues as the reason for giving up the dog, reportedly telling a shelter worker: “She met my new boyfriend and they aren’t getting along.”

As the video gained more attention online, people reacted with anger toward the woman surrendering the dog. One TikTok user wrote: “I will never understand how people can just surrender their babies,” while another user posted: “Beautiful dog doesn’t deserve this.”

“This is happening daily, everywhere. While I was there, a senior dog with bad hips was being rolled in on a cart because the owner couldn’t afford surgery,” Lebo told Newsweek via email, explaining why she was so keen to raise awareness online.

In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent when compared to 2022 intakes. At the end of last year, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.

Around 850,000 animals were euthanized in shelters in 2023, a rise of 15 percent when compared to 2022. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

Thankfully, Millie was fortunate, and thanks to the viral video, she was adopted within 48 hours of being at the shelter.

The Tacoma Humane Society responded to the viral video and emphasized that owners surrendering animals should not be shamed. A spokesperson for the shelter told Newsweek via email: “We understand it’s difficult to see a pet in distress. After watching this video, we hope people focus not on shaming the owner…Instead, we hope community members recognize the vital role the shelter plays as a resource during their greatest times of need.”

While many shelters are struggling for space, there are also positive trends in animal rescue. For example, 109,000 more dogs and 34,000 more cats were adopted in 2023 than in 2022.

In the comments section of the viral video, this point was also reflected as some shared their sympathy for the woman being forced to give up her pet.

“I was given the choice of losing my home or keeping the dog. I had to keep my home. I was about to give birth. I had to keep my home. Sometimes this is the only choice,” one TikTok user wrote.

Another user added: “Stop judging people. Life happens.”

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