Stressed Dog Who Self-Harms Back in Shelter After One Year With Foster

A pitbull mix named Mako has broken hearts all over social media after being returned to shelter for the third time when his foster could no longer care for him.

In a post shared on TikTok on Wednesday, under the username goodboygonehome, the pup can be seen howling as he struggles to accept the new reality of his life, finding himself without a family once again.

Luis Sanchez, on behalf of Austin Pets Alive!, told Newsweek that the 9-year-old dog, who was the official Austin FC Honorary Mascot of the Match in March 2024, came to them from the local municipal shelter, Austin Animal Center, in March 2023 after his foster handed him back.

“The current foster, Lotta, has had him for more than a year since he arrived at Austin Pets Alive! He gets very stressed out in the kennel and self-harms, so we consider him one of our special housing cases, especially because he is a senior.”

Sanchez explained that the foster was no longer able to continue caring for him because of an unexpected family emergency, and now Mako finds himself back in shelter looking for a new family and a place to call home.

“We urgently want him to go straight into another foster home or adoptive home to ensure he doesn’t come back to the shelter. He does great with people but prefers a home with no other pets [cats or dogs].”

Lotta told Newsweek that he is very well house-trained, loves to get his back scratched, and gets a big smile on his face and his tail waves whenever you pet him.

“He loves all people and wants to meet anyone we have over to the house. He knows how to sit, shake, and lay down and is happy to do that for treats. He will even start giving you his paw without being asked because he knows that will get him a treat!

“He is a pretty laid-back guy in the house. Since he is about 9 1/2 years old his favorite activity is napping. But he has his moments when he wants to play with his stuffed toys and has mastered the art of unstuffing them to get to the squeaker.

“Mako is a very sweet boy who deserves a family of his own. He is easy to care for in a home, and just needs someone to give him a chance to show what a good boy he can be.”

The Humane Society of Macomb explains that the most common reasons for dog surrenders include age, allergies, behavioral issues, clean-up, cost, moving, new pets and shedding.

Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet Shelter Watch Report found.

About 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received more than 171,600 views and 15,200 likes on the platform.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.