Hunk and the power of a click
In the end, all it took was a click.
Hunk had been in an overcrowded shelter for six months, mentally deteriorating from the stress and isolation. He spent his days jumping up and down in his kennel, trying to soothe himself. Potential adopters passed him by day after day.
As volunteers got to know him, they discovered a great dog who is incredibly calm when outside of a shelter kennel. True to his name, they discovered that Hunk is not only incredibly handsome, but sweet and adorable too. But they knew he was unlikely to get chosen for adoption because visitors only saw him in his cage, nervously pacing and vaulting himself toward the ceiling.
Hunk caught the attention of a compassionate volunteer who typically fosters older dogs. At just three years old, Hunk didn’t fit her criteria. But she couldn’t stop thinking about how terrifying the July 4th fireworks would be for him. She decided to bring Hunk home for the weekend to give him a break from the shelter.
When Hunk arrived at his foster home, the fatigue and stress of the previous months caught up with him. He slept and slept the first two days, seemingly relieved to be in a calm environment.
As his foster mom got to know him, she discovered that Hunk is an ideal dog. He is fully house-trained, walks well on a leash, loves car rides, and is great with dogs, cats, kids, and every person he meets. He is polite and eager to please. And as a bonus, Hunk learns incredibly fast. He quickly mastered how to sit, stay, come, focus, and touch with his nose.
Hunk was pure joy to be around, but his foster mom was on a tight timeline. Because of a conflict in her schedule, she could only take care of him for two weeks. She couldn’t stand the idea of ever bringing him back to the shelter. She began posting pictures and videos of Hunk on Instagram, telling his story. Each day, viewers saw multiple photos of Hunk, his sweet personality showing through the screen.
Followers of her page liked, commented, and shared her posts, and by doing so, they changed her algorithm. With the click of a finger, her posts began to be viewed by more and more people, including those who weren’t followers of her page. And unknowingly, one of those little clicks changed Hunk’s life.
Within a week of arriving in his foster home, a family saw Hunk’s photo. Though they weren’t followers of his Instagram page, his story had showed up in their feed, thanks to the click of a stranger. Through the photo, they could sense that Hunk is a very special soul.
They asked to meet Hunk, and it was love at first sight. They adopted him.
On the day that Hunk was scheduled to return to the shelter and the cage he feared, Hunk instead went home with his brand-new family. All it took to find them was that one little click.
Adopted! Hunk with his new family.