Temporary 'day out' leaves shelter's 'longest resident' upset — internet hunts for dog's home

Catawba County animal shelter volunteered with an online fundraising and non-profit organisation, Paw Prints with Purpose, to take their beloved dog, Woody, out for a day in the province. However, the joyful trip turned gloomy when the dog realised it was nothing permanent but a transient escape from the daunting life at the kennel. This poignant moment was shared by the organisation that goes on TikTok by @pawprintswithpurpose in a video, which caught the attention of thousands of viewers.

Woody started his day by being picked up from the shelter and overcoming his fear of car rides by enjoying one to Downtown Hickory, NC. Followed by indulging in some of his favourite food items like charcuterie and Pup Cup with a lot of whipped cream, he went on a walk with his caretakers and became an immediate hit with the people walking down the lane. “Woody made a lot of friends,” read the text overlay of the video. But the exciting day soon came to a standstill when it was time to return him to the shelter.

The video voiced a request for the people to adopt this cute canine, who has been the longest resident at Catawba’s animal shelter. “Woody’s been waiting… and waiting… He’s one of our long-term residents at Catawba County Animal Services. Behind the kennel door is a good boy full of love, just struggling with the stress of shelter life. Today, he got a break — a day out. And he lit up. Woody deserves more. Come meet him. One walk could change his life,” the community captioned the video.

Paw prints have been known to rescue abandoned dogs in the County, and their go-to mission is to produce “the ripple effect” every time they match a good pair of humans and a dog. Plus, Catawba County’s animal shelter is widely famous for their efforts in handling shelter animals and their problems. A recent news report by MSN suggested that they flew at least 60 animals to avoid overpopulation at the shelter, reflecting their understanding of providing better conditions for animals. Another video posted by the Paw Prints on June 27, 2025, highlighted animal shelters and volunteers' efforts in producing better lives for the animals. 

In the beginning, this heartwarming video started with a fact: “Taking a shelter dog out for a brief outing can drastically increase their chances of adoption.” This statement sprang from a 2023 study focusing on the influence of brief outings in animal shelters and found that “outings and temporary fostering stays increased dogs’ likelihood of adoption by 5 and over 14 times, respectively. Dogs that experienced these interventions spent longer in the shelter awaiting adoption as compared to non-intervention dogs. We found that shelters’ intervention programs were more successful when members of the community were more involved in providing these experiences (in contrast to volunteers and staff), as well as when these organizations had more resources.”

The video on TikTok moved viewers, and many offered to adopt Woody. "I live in Nova Scotia, how do I adopt Woody?" asked @jenni.cameron. "Save Woody," claimed @picklngdw8x. Another user, @rilkerose, praised the community for saving dogs, "Thank you for all you do for these sweet dogs. They all deserve loving homes!" "Boosting for Woody," wrote @prettyinpostpunkk. @cjcy_4446 requested, "Please consider adopting this sweet baby!"