The owner of a little dog decides to leave him at the shelter where he adopted him years before,  but the love that unites them is greater and he returned for him to melt into the most tender hug.

Despite the thousands of stories that reach us about  irresponsible people who leave their pets aside  in the most inconsiderate and even inhumane way,  Lewis Jiménez  had to make the most difficult decision in his life by sending his beloved Titus back to the pound  .

The little dog was adopted when he was just a puppy in Austin, Texas.

Lewis fell in love with the pit bull after a visit to the Austin Animal Center shelter. At that time he was only two years old and his little face and the excited movement of his tail captivated the man, convincing him to start with the adoption papers.

 “I was jumping and happy, and I thought, ‘Man, that’s the one I want,’” Jimenez recalled.

After that day the little dog settled into his new house, where he lived happily for five years. For Titus that time was like tasting honey on flakes, happiness was never lacking in his life but destiny had a setback in store for him.

The dog would experience abandonment again.

Jiménez had to move and the owner of his new home did not allow pets. The man demanded that his tenant get rid of Titus or else they both had to leave the place.

Although Lewis tried to get someone he trusted to stay with the little dog while he resolved the matter,  no one wanted to take care of this little angel.

The man had no choice but to take Titus back to the shelter.

Lewis thought that the little dog would not be better off anywhere other than that, after all he had lived there before, but that didn’t make the farewell any less painful.

Both Mr. Jiménez and the dog suffered when they said goodbye and that helped the people at the shelter to convince them that Lewis would return for the animal.

His owner loved him too much to leave him there forever.

Jennifer, a volunteer at the Austin Animal Center,  confessed that at first no one believed that the man would return, since many people claim the same thing and do not follow through.

“From our point of view, we cannot keep dogs, because we hear owners say this all the time, that they are going to come back, but then they don’t,” explained the animal activist.

Although Titus had already lived in that place, his adaptation was not easy at all and the little dog began to change his mood during his stay there.

“The shelter is a very, very stressful place for dogs.  Some handle it better than others, but Titus was not one of them. He was really stressed. When you took him out of his kennel, he was great, super playful and very sweet. But in his kennel he is moody and very sad,” Jennifer explained.

Titus stayed at the shelter for four long months  and, although Lewis came to visit him often, his sadness was noticeable. For this reason, the man did everything possible to return with his dog.

“He felt overwhelmed and was very sad. The volunteers took notes like, ‘Titus is not himself.’ “All of that just made me more determined to do what I had to do to get him out,” the owner said.

After that agonizing stay for the little dog, the creature managed to return to the arms of its owner. Lewis and his family were able to resolve their housing issues and moved into a property with a large yard so Titus would be free and comfortable.

That was the best news for the furry one.

The day Lewis returned for the puppy, he couldn’t believe it and they both merged in another hug that was recorded in the lens of the shelter photographer. Everyone in the place was moved by the beautiful scene.

“The staff saw them crying when they left. So the whole situation was heartbreaking,” Jennifer explained.

At the end of the day, the little dog returned to his real family and Lewis swore he would never leave his side again. In addition, the man was deeply grateful to the staff there for the consideration they showed him and his family in agreeing to care for Titus. But above all, this owner was grateful for the patience and care they had with his beloved dog.

Getting a faithful dog is a fortune, but even greater is knowing that this loyalty is reciprocated by its humans. Blessings and standing applause for Lewis and Titus.