Lana is a Bullmastiff mix that was rescued from the streets of Arizona when she was just a young pup. Luckily for her, it didn’t take long until she found a family that adopted her. For the next three years, she lived happily with her owners and had all the love and attention that she could ever want.
Unfortunately, though, her family got into an undesirable situation, and they couldn’t take care of her anymore. She was returned to the Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA, and there she stayed for the next 125 days. She became their longest-staying resident.
Attract attention
Whitney Steele, the Director of Volunteers and Events at the shelter, felt bad for Lana. She was not used to the shelter life, and now it seems that she was getting depressed. Because no one was adopting her, her sadness grew as each day passed.
To get more attention to the sad dog’s plight, Whitney decided to do something radical. She decided to stage a sit-in. She promised to stay inside the dog’s kennel until she gets adopted. Through the shelter’s Facebook page, she documented her experience.
Whitney worked inside the kennel and would even have meetings with the staff while she was there. At night, when the shelter closed, she was the only staff member left behind.
She started to understand better why Lana was getting sad. It was very lonely being there alone, especially for a dog who had spent most of her life with a loving family. This made Whitney even more determined to get the dog adopted.
Community support
People admired the dedicated woman, and they immediately started sharing her posts. Some even sent food and drinks. They deeply appreciated what she was doing.
After staying with Lana for more than 24 hours, a kind woman came in and adopted the dog. Whitney’s idea worked. And more importantly, Lana has a second chance at being happy.
Source: Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA via Facebook
