Homeless Woman Who Surrendered Her Deaf Dog Because They Had Nowhere To Live Is Emotionally Reunited 6 Weeks Later
Unfortunate circumstances didn't stop this pet owner from getting her puppy back.
@pipercavender67 / TikTok One of the saddest things many people experience is rehoming a pet due to relocation circumstances. In a lot of cases, pet owners rehome their fur babies because of landlords and apartment or home requirements. Sometimes, pet owners cannot afford the fees relocation brings.
However, in one woman's case, homelessness caused her to surrender her deaf puppy. Weeks of separation led to a beautiful moment that she uploaded to TikTok.
A homeless woman was reunited with her deaf dog after being separated for 6 weeks.
TikTok user Piper Cavender (@pipercavender67) had recently posted a video that showcased the emotional reunion of Cavender and her deaf puppy named Pepper. In a video, Cavender explained how she was homeless and that she had to “surrender my girl, but a twist of fate brought us back together after 6 weeks.”
Cavender said that her "issue was finding the right home for us bc she's deaf, reactive... I needed something somewhat private and housing here is bad."
The 59-second video captured Cavender walking, awaiting to see Pepper after a long and emotional separation. The video then showed Cavender running up to Pepper and awaiting for the animal shelter workers to open the gates.
Cavender shortly was able to put her hands through the gaps in the gates and Pepper began wagging her tail happily, jumping around and showing total excitement in this beautiful moment. Clearly, Pepper smelled her owner and was able to connect that they had officially been reunited.
The emotional nature of the video had others giving support and sharing their experiences.
Several users wrote kind words such as, “Here I am crying at 2:36 in the A.M. after a long night of work but damn I’m so happy for yall.” Many others shared their experiences of having to deal with the separation of a beloved pet.
Cavender shared, “She is my heart, she was abandoned by many bc she's deaf and I wanted to die when I gave her up.” Thinking about it, those 6 weeks must have been so hard for both Cavender and Pepper.
Many thanked Cavender and wrote, “You did the best you could, thank you,” and offered love and support upon hearing about her prior hardship.
Photo: TikTok / @pipercavender67
Unfortunately, in most cases, dogs that go to shelters don't get returned to previous owners.
One user wrote, “Glad they let you have her back. Happened to a friend and they wouldn’t give her back.” One user responded, “Many shelters will choose to put you on a blacklist for a certain amount of time after surrendering so you can’t adopt from that shelter."
Cavender replied to these comments by writing, “I wasn't boarding her I thought I would never see her again and we were blessed bc she's a hard dog to understand she's deaf and reactive."
Photo: Humphrey Muleba / Pexels
Despite the support of many, some questioned how Cavender was even able to “surrender” her dog and that they’ve seen homeless people with dogs before.
Of the "twist of fate" Cavender referenced, she said in the comments, "My best friend moved heaven and earth to find us a place in time. She was listed for 1 day bc her first shelter didn't fix her TWIST OF FATE... kept her at the shelter for me to get her back in time"
It's difficult for anyone to rehome a pet that has become part of their family, especially if that pet offers emotional support. Some individuals feel guilt and shame for having to rehome their pet, even if they know it's the right thing to do. Cavender herself said, "I wanted to die when I gave her up."
Regardless of Cavender's circumstances, it's heartwarming to see her reunited with her dog!
Cortney Crowell is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango from New Jersey who covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.