Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
Learn More

Dog ‘Checks Himself’ Out Of Shelter Because He Knew Where He Wanted To Be

By: Julie Hunt
Julie Hunt is an avid dog lover and writer for iHeartDogs.com, and has a background as a veterinary technician. She rescued a beautiful former bait dog named Rory.Read more
| January 13, 2025

Tiki, a 9-year-old senior dog with a knack for mischief and an unwavering love for people, has proven he’ll stop at nothing to stay close to human companionship. His journey began on July 4th when he was found as a stray wandering a road near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Despite being microchipped, his rescuers couldn’t locate an owner, so Tiki was taken in by the Humane Society of Huron Valley. “He arrived with a wagging tail and was more than happy to be petted and loved on by staff and volunteers — and did not want to be left alone,” Wendy Welch, the shelter’s director of marketing and communications, shared with The Dodo.

Humane Society of Huron Valley/Facebook

The shelter was already at capacity, so Tiki was temporarily placed in a crate inside an administrative office. That’s when the staff began to witness his clever and determined nature. “He broke out of his crate, opened the door of the room the crate was in, toured the shelter for a bit, then went out our front doors and right into the arms of one of our amazing veterinarians, who was coming in at 6 a.m.,” Welch said.

Humane Society of Huron Valley/Facebook

Initially, staff thought it was a simple oversight in securing the crate and office. However, Tiki managed to repeat his daring escape. This time, he not only freed himself but also unlocked the office door and navigated his way through several hallways to the shelter’s front doors. Security footage later revealed the full extent of his escapades.

“It’s not obvious where the front doors are,” Welch explained. “Tiki had to wind through several hallways and doorways to find the front door, which is amazing. And, from the video, it looks like he just knew that stepping in front of our automated front doors (locked from the outside, obviously) would make them open from the inside, which is also amazing.”

Humane Society of Huron Valley/Facebook

After his escape, Tiki strolled over to the nearby Matthei Botanical Gardens. Fortunately, the garden staff recognized him as a shelter dog and quickly returned him. “He’s smart and determined to be with people!” Welch said, marveling at Tiki’s ingenuity and persistence.

Tiki’s first adoption attempt didn’t work out due to his intense separation anxiety. However, the Humane Society didn’t give up hope. A few months later, Tiki found another home — and this time, it was a perfect match.

She Could Barely Walk or Breathe When Rescuers Found Her
She Could Barely Walk or Breathe When Rescuers Found Her

Rescuers swooped in, but when they got the pup into their care, she had lost the use of her back legs, was struggling to breathe, and weighed just around 20 pounds.

“A few months later, [he was] adopted again, and it looks like it’s a forever love,” the Humane Society said in a happy update. Tiki’s determination to find a home paid off after all! To see Tiki’s clever escape, click on the video below.

Please ‘SHARE’ to pass on this story to a friend or family member

Click ‘SHARE’ below to pass this along to a friend or family member

Loading Checkout...

United StatesClose
Flag of United States
Powered by
duty and tax information for United States

Looks like your ad blocker is on.

×

We rely on ads to keep creating quality content for you to enjoy for free.

Please support our site by disabling your ad blocker.

Continue without supporting us

Choose your Ad Blocker

  • Adblock Plus
  • Adblock
  • Adguard
  • Ad Remover
  • Brave
  • Ghostery
  • uBlock Origin
  • uBlock
  • UltraBlock
  • Other
  1. In the extension bar, click the AdBlock Plus icon
  2. Click the large blue toggle for this website
  3. Click refresh
  1. In the extension bar, click the AdBlock icon
  2. Under "Pause on this site" click "Always"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Adguard icon
  2. Click on the large green toggle for this website
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Ad Remover icon
  2. Click "Disable on This Website"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the orange lion icon
  2. Click the toggle on the top right, shifting from "Up" to "Down"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Ghostery icon
  2. Click the "Anti-Tracking" shield so it says "Off"
  3. Click the "Ad-Blocking" stop sign so it says "Off"
  4. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the uBlock Origin icon
  2. Click on the big, blue power button
  3. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the uBlock icon
  2. Click on the big, blue power button
  3. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the UltraBlock icon
  2. Check the "Disable UltraBlock" checkbox
  1. Please disable your Ad Blocker
  2. Disable any DNS blocking tools such as AdGuardDNS or NextDNS

If the prompt is still appearing, please disable any tools or services you are using that block internet ads (e.g. DNS Servers).