Veteran was ready to sell his car to buy his dogs back from shelter — but broke down when he saw what the staff did

The shelter had to put up the dogs for adoption based on their policy with a $250 fee.

PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

(L) Emotional old man while driving a car, (R) Senior man taking care of rescued dogs. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L)DjelicS, (R) Vesnaandjic)

A heartwarming story woven with compassion, love, and kindness unfolded at a dog shelter. James Pack, a veteran who had served in Vietnam, was saving every penny to reclaim his two dogs from a shelter that had put them up for adoption while he was hospitalized. When he visited the shelter later, he broke down into tears upon hearing an update on his beloved pets. A viral clip shared by @lindsaydonovan8332 on YouTube is making rounds on the internet for capturing a veteran’s wholesome reaction to a surprise.

An old man in the hospital wearing oxygen mask (Representative Image Source: Pexels |
Engin Akyurt) — An old man in the hospital wearing oxygen mask. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Engin Akyurt)

Pack had endured a severe heart attack and was hospitalized for a long time until he recovered. His two dogs, Bailey and Blaze, were taken under the care of the First State Animal Center and SPCA in Newark, Delaware. They had initially planned to care for the pups while Pack recovered, but his hospital stay lasted longer than expected. The shelter had to put up the dogs for adoption based on their policy, with a $250 fee, as reported by iHeartdogs. The pet owner, unaware of all the happenings, returned to get his dogs back as soon as he was discharged. There, he was informed about the adoption policy and asked to pay the fee.

A woman sitting in front of a golden retriever kept inside a cage at an animal shelter (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Zbynek Pospisil) — A person sitting in front of a golden retriever kept inside a cage at an animal shelter. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Zbynek Pospisil)

Unfortunately, the veteran had exhausted all his savings on hospital bills and could not afford to pay the $250 required for the adoption of his own dogs. Determined to get his lifelines back, he even considered selling his car. But life had a surprise in store. His sheer love for his pups had touched a few hearts back at the shelter. One day, he returned to the shelter situated inside a PetSmart store to find the staff at the counter handing him a $40 check, as seen in the clip with 1.1 million views. Pack was agitated, worried the staff would not return his dogs to him. “I can’t have my dogs?” he asked innocently.

Elderly man playing and showing warm affection towards pet dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Adamkaz) — Elderly man playing and showing warm affection towards pet dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Adamkaz)

“Yesterday, after seeing the reunion, a lady that was here, Melissa, wanted to raise the money for you,” the rescue staff revealed. The workers had contributed $5 to $10 each to collect enough money for Pack to cover the adoption costs. They even got him gift cards, new toys, and bones for the pups. The veteran was deeply moved and fought back tears, feeling the warmth of humanity. He said that he thought the shelter would not allow him to take his dogs back and wanted to offer money in return. Soon, his pet dogs were brought out, and an emotional Pack stood there waiting. Bailey and Blaze jumped on their owner, barking with joy while the man hugged them tight.

The beautiful reunion left viewers emotional and restored their faith in kindness. “A man who gave so much for his country... I'm glad a Good Samaritan was there to pay a bit of that sacrifice back to him,” penned @Alexcolombia28 and @NJHavoc wrote, “This melts my heart. This is what humanity is all about. Helping others.”

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