Dog falsely accused of being 'aggressive' returns to the shelter — waits 3 years for a new family

Americans are not currently bound by strict animal adoption rules. Maybe that is why there are multiple reports of people citing absurd reasons to return their pet. There are many videos on social media exploring the same problem, but there’s one in particular that viewers couldn't unsee — the story of Maggie, who was falsely accused of being “aggressive” by the previous owner’s 4-year-old child in 2021. Three years later, her story was shared in a video by her current owner, Jennifer, on Maggie's Instagram account @maggiepotamus. Witnessing her calm demeanor and her gentle nature around the children made viewers deeply question the previous allegation.

Usually, shelters conduct a behavioural assessment test before giving away animals for adoption. There are various stimuli that the animals are exposed to, and based on the results of those, they are deemed viable (or not) for adoption. Jen confirmed that the staff immediately knew that the owner was lying about the aggression, as Maggie had been tested before being given away. “She had been tested with children before being adopted by a family with kids. But that still had to be added to her record, and as a result, she sat in the shelter for YEARS waiting for a home,” Jennifer wrote in the caption.

Well, it took Maggie, the dog, three full years to clean her record, but she finally found her home with Jennifer, who was more than happy to adopt her. “I’m so glad she’s mine, but I still resent all the years she had to spend in that scary, stressful place feeling alone,” Jennifer continued in the caption. Since her adoption, Maggie's life has flowed like a river. She wakes up at 1:30 in the afternoon, enjoys her vacation to exotic places with her parent, and is also a big sister to Sheeba. As her fun narrator, Jennifer has not shied away from sharing Maggie's life on the social media platform. In another video shared on April 24, she shows Maggie being coddled by her. 

Studies have shown that behavioural issues are most common when returning a dog to the shelter due to reasons like inability to care, housing issues, illness, and family moving to another country. Around 4 million pet animals were adopted in 2024, and according to the National Library of Medicine, the return rate is between 7% to 20%, which is relatively low. But those who are returned on account of behavioral transgressions are more likely to be euthanized. Although the euthanization rates in America have seen a remarkable drop from 64 per 1000 capita in the 1970s to 5.6 per 1000 in 2024, the chances of aggressive dogs being euthanized remain on the higher end.

In Maggie’s case, her staff members were aware of her behaviour and therefore caught the lie, but not everyone will be so lucky. Viewers were moved by her story and commented, "They lied should never have been added to her record! Why do it? Justice for Maggie, she's beautiful," echoed @netforemam. @mirandagail99 chimed in, "Yup, my rescue was labeled as not good with kids. Turns out she LOVES kids. They are her favorite thing in the world. She is so gentle with them, even when the little ones poke at her (not that we encourage that). She will happily play with kids or lie in their laps all day. She got into the shelter at 4 months old and was there till she was almost two, until we rescued her because she 'isn't good with kids.'"

You can follow Jennifer Lee on Instagram at @maggiepotamus for updates on Maggie's journey.