🤔 Would you adopt a dog about to be euthanized?
If dogs could actually talk, we’re sure they’d have a lot to say.
With the excited butt wiggles when we come home or the way they look at us adoringly day after day, it’s already as if they tell us “I love you” in the way they know how.
It’s as if we’ve given our dogs a voice. We know how to communicate with them.
But what about the dogs who are quite literally silenced, and desperate for help?
That’s the case in open intake shelters across the country. These dogs have no voice, and they need humans to step up and tell their story before it’s too late.
When Elodie–shelter volunteer and advocate for “red-listed” dogs–first started volunteering, she was hesitant to visit her area’s high-kill shelter…
But after seeing how many dogs truly needed her help, she made it her full-time mission to save as many as she could from being euthanized.
Would you adopt a dog who's about to be euthanized?
Her passion to help started young
“I went to study for a year in Mexico, and I realized what was happening… So I started trying to help a few dogs in the street. I sometimes regret that. It's like, I fed this dog for a year, but after I went back to France, I wondered, ‘Who is feeding them now?’ They were counting on me.”
Growing up in France to animal-loving parents, Elodie’s childhood was filled with animals.
Her dad, who sold antiques, would frequent the local flea markets… And often come home with animals who were left behind.
Guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs… There was always room for one more.
And Elodie took that same mentality with her as she entered adulthood.
Photo: Charlie
Studying abroad in Mexico, she experienced firsthand just how big the stray dog crisis really was. Even outside her own country, there were countless animals who needed help.
Between her studies, she would make time to feed them, earn their trust, and help get them off the streets and into their very own homes.
But until then, her efforts were done solo. She had never been involved with a shelter.
And she didn’t realize how they were struggling until one day, she found a family of cats.
“I called so many shelters, and that’s when I realized what it means to be “full.” No one wanted to help me, or they didn’t have enough volunteers to get to where the kittens were. I ended up catching the last kittens and I brought them to a shelter.”
Photo: Charlie
It was around that same time that she decided to become a foster, first with kittens.
Then, learning about various rescue organizations, she also ended up fostering a dog, Charlie, from Mexico… who is still her dog to this day.
A growing desire to get involved
“I really wanted to help dogs but I didn't think I could go to a high kill shelter, honestly. So I decided to reach out to some ‘no-kill shelters.’ Being a mom, I needed flexibility but they didn’t have that. They had many volunteers already… So I went to the high-kill shelter, and they were like, ‘We desperately need help, no one wants to volunteer for us.’”
Desperate for ways to help dogs before she even started volunteering, Elodie started thinking of ideas to boost their visibility.
Reaching out to the former Director of Animal Control, she presented a program in which kids could be “heroes,” partnering with schools to pair kids up with dogs and help be their voice.
Here, they would observe and interact with the dog, learning how to describe their personality and help get them adopted.
The project was approved, training started, and then leadership changed. The project was abandoned.
At that point, Elodie knew she needed to personally step in.
Within just a few weeks of volunteering, she realized how dire the situation really was.
Besides the kennel staff, she would often be alone. No one else was coming in to help.
Two months after she started volunteering, she decided to try posting a video to social media. Seeing how much engagement it got, she immediately did another.
…And she ended up saving her first dog.
Photo: Gitana, who was rescued 💜
Her followers grew quickly, as did her opportunities to get these dogs in front of more people.
Her efforts often felt like a full-time job. So that’s what she made it.
“I would wake up at 6 and end up working until midnight. And so, I decided to shut down my company I had been building for two years to take care of the dogs full-time. It was not an easy decision, but I decided to focus my time on these dogs and post their videos. Most of them are already out of public sight, so the videos I create are the only way for them to get seen.”
Spending time makes a difference
“I'm very calm with the dogs. I sit on the floor and I let them come to me. I don't rush any interaction, and if the dog doesn't want to interact, that's okay too. I think sometimes the staff can be very quick to judge, because they don't have the proper time to spend 15, 20, 30 minutes with one dog.”
When the shelter is full and staff has to make hard decisions, time and temperament can often be factors used to decide who gets “red-listed.”
Photo: Ghost was adopted 💜
But because Elodie spends so much time with these dogs one-on-one, her observations are often more thorough and accurate than what the shelter staff sees.
More dogs come in than are being adopted, so the shelter is always full. Sometimes, that means multiple dogs per kennel. It also means dogs lined up in crates in hallways.
Spending days at the shelter, Elodie will get the dogs out of the stressful environment and let them decompress. Here, they start to feel a little more safe and their personalities shine through.
This is when she’ll capture their playful, affectionate nature, and turn it into a video... Like she did here with Thumper (who was adopted!).
And because she’s done that so consistently, many rescues have finally started to step up.
The more hands, the better
“Since this all started, I’ve also created a lot of partnerships with some rescues. I can now send dogs all over the U.S, and even some to Canada. I share my videos with three other ladies who help me, and it’s awesome to have their support.”
Even though she works for the dogs full time, there’s still more to do than Elodie can manage herself.
A few women have stepped up to help spread the word, sharing her videos with various platforms like Nextdoor, and managing conversations with those who may be interested.
And because she’s so active on social media, her posts have been shared by some pretty big names too, like Jennifer Anniston (who even paid full surgery expenses for one of the dogs Elodie shared!).
Rescues have started to take notice too.
If there’s a specific breed at the shelter, Elodie will sometimes pass on making a video and directly reach out to rescues who are breed-focused and try to get them pulled asap.
By now, she knows a large amount of reputable rescues who are willing to help, and more constantly on her radar.
When she posts, people will often tag rescues to visibility.
They’ll also make pledges, help cover the costs and support the rescue once the dog has been saved.
And because of these joint efforts, Elodie has been able to get 100s of dogs out of the shelter in just a few years.
In the most difficult moments, she still shows up
“I can't stop… I'm their only voice and I know how much of an impact these videos have. I try to not detach, but instead, I always go to the dogs with a happy spirit. Always, always, always.”
When a favorite dog ends up on the euthanasia list, it’s enough to make someone want to give up altogether.
Photo: Atticus, who was adopted 💜
And that almost happened to Elodie.
Seeing a sweet, pregnant dog she loved ending up red-listed, she prepared to take her in herself. She even set everything up so she could give birth in a safe, loving environment.
But they didn’t see Elodie’s email in time.
That dog felt like a soulmate and she would’ve kept her as her own.
The experience was enough to test her spirit.
“I thought, ‘I'm done. I can't do this, it's too painful.’ And then the next day, they added another one of my favorite dogs to the euthanasia list.”
So even though it hurt, she decided she had to keep going. And she kept showing up with good energy too. The dogs needed it.
She laughs with them, cuddles them… They play fetch and enjoy time out in the sun.
These little moments give the dogs hope. And when she works with the dogs multiple times, she gets to witness firsthand just how much they progress.
“...Then they kiss you, and that's the most beautiful thing ever.”
Considering a high-kill shelter pup
“It's just so rewarding. At the beginning, it's not always easy… You can’t expect them to be the perfect dog right away. But they will pay it forward for life. They know, and they are so thankful for what you did for them.”
When dogs end up at an open-intake shelter, it’s through no fault of their own. Many of these dogs were loved, trained, and cared for… And a human changed their life for the worse.
Click to see Stella's transformation!
But spending time with them, Elodie sees their true colors. And it’s the same for dogs in shelters all over the country.
The shelter conditions can be rough. They’re noisy and overstimulating. No dog can truly thrive there.
Once they’re out however, they get to decompress.
Following the 3-3-3 rule, they get a true chance to understand that this is their new life.
Photo: Lilah, Elodie's rescue
Shy dogs start to open up. Senior dogs start to feel safe. Playful dogs jump with joy. Young ones get a true chance at life.
As a volunteer, Elodie gets to work with dogs to help them realize there are people out there who love them.
And once they’re in their home, with a little patience and a lot of love, they make for the best pets.
Showing them you care, no matter what
No matter where your pet came from, once they’re in your care, they get to live their best life.
But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone know exactly what to do to keep them happy and safe?
If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what.
