Orlando Shelter’s Video Featuring Sad Dog Leads To Super-Fast Adoption

Guapo’s sad face broke hearts and found him love.
By Chad Taylor June 17, 2022 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
sad-looking dog transforms after adoption Credit: Vlad Ozo / Adobe Stock

It didn't take long for sweet-faced Guapo to find a new forever home, and it's all thanks to a Facebook post that broke hearts across the country.

"Animal surrenders are one of the toughest things for us here at OCAS to understand," the June 7 post by Orange County Animal Services reads. "We know there are times when people are faced with genuine dilemmas and emergencies. We know there are truly heartbreaking reasons why someone may have to give up a dog. But the reality is, most of the reasons we hear when people surrender don't really make any sense to us."

The accompanying video, set to Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" begins with a closeup of Guapo's soft, achingly sad face.

"It's been proven that dogs start to see their owners as family after just a short time with them," the post concludes. "All we can do is ask is that you do the same."

From that 17-second video, Guapo became an absolute sensation.

"The response we received for him was overwhelming," a shelter spokesperson told Fox 35. "People came in by the dozens to see Guapo, and we received a ton of email requests for information on this poor, sad dog."

The requests quickly turned into visits, and by the very next day, the shelter was posting a video of Guapo (now named Rosco) with his new forever family. Then, in a post just this morning, the shelter posted a series of photos—including some from his new home—showing how dramatic an effect a little love had on the 2-year-old pup.

"This is why we do what we do," the latest post reads. "Why we show our dogs in a different way. Because we know that what people see behind those kennel bars isn't always what we see every day. It isn't always what's really inside."