When Olivia Boblet began volunteering at the SPCA of Southwest Michigan, she had no idea how deeply a special pup would touch her heart. His name was Otis, and from the moment she met him, his soulful eyes and gentle nature captured her completely. Despite his sweet demeanor, Otis carried the heavy weight of a difficult past. Otis had been surrendered to the shelter after a devastating house fire left his family unable to care for him. This poor pup had lost everything—his home, his family—and he didn’t understand why he was separated from them.
In the early days at the shelter, Otis could often be heard whining in his kennel, clearly grieving the loss of the life he once knew. Olivia, along with the other shelter staff and volunteers, worked tirelessly to comfort him, offering him love and reassurance. Slowly but surely, Otis began to show signs of healing, especially when he was taken out for walks.
Every time Olivia approached his kennel, Otis’ face would light up, his tail wagging furiously. “He just wanted to stay out and play and enjoy what a normal dog enjoys. Seeing him get the zoomies and just de-stress and let it all out and be so happy was, I don’t know, it just made me happy because I knew that I was making him happy by going there and taking him outside,” Olivia shared with GeoBeats. The bond between Olivia and Otis grew stronger with each passing day, and she couldn’t help but become more attached to the pup.
Though Otis was a popular dog at the shelter, potential adopters had been slow to come forward. But one day, a family arrived, eager to meet Otis. While Olivia was thrilled for Otis to potentially find his forever home, she couldn’t ignore the pangs of sadness. She had grown so fond of him and knew she would miss him terribly. Unfortunately, the family ultimately decided that they couldn’t adopt Otis, leaving him back at the shelter.
Olivia’s heart ached as she returned to his kennel, but she made sure to give him extra love and comfort during this time. Her family and even her boyfriend’s family knew how much she cared for Otis, and they visited him too, sharing in the joy of seeing him happy and well. Olivia cherished the moments they had together, especially the day Otis truly came out of his shell. “I’ll never forget, two months into knowing him, I took him outside and it was like after a rainy day. So the play yards were kind of muddy. And he got the zoomies and he accidentally ran into me and swept me off my feet. I landed straight on my back and I was so embarrassed. I got up, I’m like looking around making sure nobody saw it, but he was just so happy,” Olivia said.
Although Olivia dreamed of giving Otis a forever home, her living situation at the time prevented her from adopting him. She had plans to move to a new home in June 2023 and adopt Otis if he was still at the shelter. But fate had a different plan. In May 2023, Otis met a wonderful family who immediately fell in love with his playful nature and irresistible smile. They decided to make him part of their family.
Before Otis left the shelter for his new home, he shared a heartfelt goodbye with Olivia, the woman who had brought so much joy into his life during his time at the shelter. While Olivia couldn’t be his forever mom, she took comfort in knowing he was finally going to the family he deserved.
Shockingly, this is not the first time she has faced animal cruelty charges; she has a past conviction for similar crimes. We must ensure that no more animals suffer or die in her care!
Now in his new home, Otis enjoys all the love and comfort he could ever wish for, with cozy naps and sweet goodnight kisses from his new parents and two human sisters who adore him. Olivia still receives updates from his new family, and she couldn’t be happier seeing Otis thrive in his forever home. He’s living his best life, surrounded by love and happiness, thanks to the kindness of a compassionate volunteer who helped him heal.
Toledo, United States.
