For more than three years, a dog named Kylie watched families walk through the doors of the Benton-Franklin Humane Society and leave with someone else.
Day after day, kennel after kennel emptied — but Kylie stayed behind. Eventually, she became the shelter’s longest resident.
Last June, The Dodo shared Kylie’s story, and a few months later, something she’d waited years for finally happened: she was chosen.
A couple met Kylie, fell in love and brought her home. For the first time in years, she had a family of her own. It truly seemed like her shelter chapter had closed for good.
But life had other plans.
Not long after being adopted, Kylie suffered a devastating injury — she tore her ACL. The injury required surgery and extensive recovery, and the home she’d just moved into was only accessible by stairs.
Faced with mounting medical costs and an environment that wasn’t safe for her healing, Kylie’s new family made the heartbreaking decision to return her to the shelter.
“They did everything they possibly could to try to keep her,” said Julie Saraceno, a volunteer dog walker at the shelter. “But it just wasn’t the right fit.”
After surgery and recovery, Kylie was back on her feet — running, playing and feeling like herself again.
But emotionally, the loss was heavy.
After finally knowing what it felt like to have a home, Kylie found herself back behind kennel doors once more. Today, she’s been at the shelter for more than 1,500 days.
And yet, somehow, her spirit has never faded.
“In all that time, she has never lost her joy,” Saraceno shared in a TikTok.
One of the biggest challenges standing between Kylie and adoption had always been her need to live as the only dog in the home. But thanks to tireless work from shelter staff and volunteers, Kylie has recently begun forming friendships with other dogs — opening the door to even more potential families.
Now, she’s more ready than ever for a second chance.
Saraceno has just one wish for 2025: to see Kylie finally walk out of the shelter for good.
“Kylie is the best,” she said. “She deserves to be the next dog to leave this place.”
All it takes is one person to say yes.
If you’re interested in adopting Kylie or learning more about her, you can contact the Benton-Franklin Humane Society and help give this resilient pup the happy ending she’s been waiting so long for.
