Shelter Dog Refuses to Leave Car After Outing, Knowing His Painful Reality Awaits Him

For six-year-old Arrow, a few hours away from the shelter seemed to have been exactly what he needed. After an outing, he falls asleep in the car on the way back to Maui Humane Society, only to wake up somewhere he clearly does not want to be.

The video shared by @cassondrachristman shows Arrow curled up on the bed in the back seat, wagging his tail but refusing to get out. This shelter dog has spent so much time in his kennel that going back after a fun day outside in the video appears to be especially hard.

Human has to coax shelter dog from leaving the car and heading back to kennel after outing

Cassondra opens the back door and finds Arrow stretched out comfortably on the bed. She gently pulls his leash and asks him to come out, but he lowers his head instead. He is staying put. Arrow wags his tail when Cassondra comes closer and gives him a little pat. She tells him they have to go back inside, but he seems much more interested in lying there and getting one more minute of rest.

The text on screen says he was “hoping I’d get back in and start the car,” and that may be the saddest part of the clip. Cassondra steps away from the car and calls him again, but Arrow does not move. When she reaches in, he places his head on her hand and settles back down.

Eventually, Cassondra has to carry him out. His new toys come along too. Once they reach the shelter doors, Arrow walks back inside and returns to his kennel. The final shots show him behind the bars with those toys nearby, wagging his tail at Cassondra as she walks away.

According to Cassondra, Arrow is good with other dogs, loves people and toys, enjoys the water and may be a Pointer mix. He does have a prey drive around birds and cats. She also says he spends much of his shelter time spinning in circles in his kennel.

The shelter dog’s video has earned more than 7,300 likes, and viewers clearly felt the weight of that return. One commenter wrote that Arrow was “exactly where he wanted to be… with you.” Another said watching him cling to the car was heartbreaking. The hope is that one day Arrow’s car ride will end somewhere very different.