Witnessing an adorable dog being abandoned by its supposed forever family always fills us with sadness, but the situation becomes even more heart-wrenching when the pup is forced to part with its home due to unforeseen circumstances. You can see a heartbroken dog in a shelter longing for adoption here

Ritter and his sibling Corky were surrendered to the Humane Society for Hamilton County in Indiana after their family lost their home and became unable to take care of them. As with many other dogs, Ritter was traumatized and frightened by the sudden loss of his comfortable and familiar surroundings.

“As many dogs are, he was petrified, nervous, and heartbroken,” said Megan Bousley, marketing communications specialist for the Humane Society for Hamilton County. “They don’t understand where their family went and are confused and frightened by the new, loud environment.

Upon being abandoned in the kennel, he filled everyone’s heart with sorrow by gazing down at the floor and sitting tightly against the wall with an expression of sadness and confusion.

Although Ritter received plenty of affection and support from the shelter staff, it was not a replacement for having a permanent and loving family. “He’s gotten a lot of love and attention from staff,” Bousley shared. “While he’s reserved and nervous in his kennel, he’s full of joy outside, just wanting to play and be loved.”

The shelter staff was concerned about Ritter’s melancholy and made it their mission to find him a new home. They took to Facebook, posting his photo and hoping that someone would see it and offer him the love and care he deserved.

Sophie Spenia stumbled upon Ritter’s photo on the Humane Society for Hamilton County’s Facebook page, which had gone viral with over 3,000 shares. She had been waiting to adopt a big dog until she moved to a house with more space and had been browsing through the shelter’s website and social media every morning. When she saw Ritter’s heartbreaking picture, she knew she had found her perfect match.

“When I saw Ritter’s picture and description go up at 6 a.m. one morning, I immediately texted my sister and said we had to go bust him outta there right after work,” Spenia said. “Two hours later, my sister texted me the Facebook post that she noticed was going viral. So I told my boss the situation and he told me to clock out and get over to the shelter! He’s a dog lover, too.”

Despite Spenia’s worries that Ritter may struggle to adjust to a new family, she was thrilled when the dog showed an affectionate response.

“The minute he came in the visitor area he jogged right on over to me and put his big cute head right in my lap and I could tell he was such a lover,” Spenia said. “I had to have him!”

Following the completion of the paperwork, Ritter finally found his forever home and went with his kind-hearted new owner on Thursday. He was so thrilled that he couldn’t stop beaming during the ride back.

It’s heartwarming to witness how Ritter, who was once the saddest dog at the shelter, has now found a loving new home with the best mom possible. It’s certain that the rest of his days will be filled with nothing but love and joy.