Dog in foster home wails upon missing his shelter friends — and it's a sorry sight

A shelter dog's crying video has gone viral on the internet, with users getting emotional over the reason behind it. The video surfaced online when Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue uploaded the clip from their Facebook account on June 19, 2025. It instantly grabbed the attention of countless users, reaching more than 31K reactions and 5.5K reshares. As reported by Newsweek, Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue is a nonprofit based in California. 

The video features a small dog, Forrest, who had just left the rescue organization to stay with a foster parent. The new surroundings and the process of saying goodbye to his shelter friends all added up, making Forrest wail inconsolably. The rescue team shared how this is a regular a sad event for rescue dogs that no one ever really gets to see.

The NGO wrote in the caption of the Facebook post, "This is the heartbreaking part of rescue the public rarely sees. This is a dog separated from his family and his little canine buddies and mourning those losses. I know some think these guys don’t feel, but as foster families we see time and time again they feel everything. Forrest is grieving all the things he lost."

While the intentions behind putting these shelter dogs in the temporary foster care are pure, it doesn't necessarily mean that the canines will instantly be understanding of that. They may express strong emotions at the start, such as Forrest did, but later benefit immensely from the interim stay. According to a report by the National Library of Medicine, even spending one night in a foster home can improve a shelter dog's overall well-being. It lowers their stress, helps them rest better, and makes them over 14 times more likely to get adopted. For canines having a hard time in the shelter, foster carers can offer more help than a short trip outside. 

A shelter staff member also shared with Newsweek, "We wish we could give him back everything he's lost, but all we can give is love and the promise of a future where he never has to lose so many things all at once again." Many users immediately supported the post and left positive responses in the comment section. Rose Grimmett wrote, "Poor baby should never have to feel that kind of pain. This fur-baby is very sensitive and needs a good home where she gets all the love and patience she can stand."

Deb Walter commented, "Oh sweetheart, I am praying for your broken heart to be healed! Bless you, little one. I wish I were closer to you." Jill Hauser exclaimed, "This is heartbreaking. I hope he finds his forever home." To help with the faster adoption of Forrest, the organization posted details of their adoption event on the post as well. "Want to meet little Forrest and give him all the love he needs in a new forever home? Please come out to our Adopt A Mutt Month Adoption event this Saturday from 10-3pm. The event has two locations and Forrest will be at the Bakersfield location at Motor City Buick GMC 3101 Pacheco Rd." 

One user, Nina Carol Strickland Alvarado, immediately volunteered, "Where's this baby at? If it's near Eastern North Carolina, he/she can surely come live with me." A week later, the rescue team shared the good news in the comments, "Forrest was adopted into an amazing forever home today."

For more touching dog content, follow Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue on their Facebook account.