A dog riding an emotional roller coaster through her first year of life—and shut down after being surrendered to an Atlanta animal shelter—finally received a happy ending.
Prim, a 1-year-old pit bull terrier, had her first taste of home life in March 2024 following her adoption. But shortly after, the family rehomed her. Then, through no fault of her own, the new owners surrendered her to Fulton County Animal Services in September because of financial struggles.
A study published in the journal Animals, conducted from 2018 to 2023, found the most common reasons for animals being relinquished included behavioral issues, housing and moving, and owners’ inability to care for the pets. Financial struggles accounted for 6 percent of survey respondents. Too many other pets in the household or allergies rounded out the top five reasons for owner surrender.
Merve Gurses, a volunteer who highlights shelter dogs on the Instagram account @frompitstopeaches, told Newsweek via the platform that Prim immediately shut down when she came into the Atlanta shelter. She had no idea why her family had left her. Prim showed kennel stress—heavy panting, biting walls and the inability to relax.
“She is young and so eager to please,” Gurses said. “She is a people’s dog. So I think being away from people and being isolated really affected her.”
The Instagram video from earlier this week, which reached over 113,000 views, showed Prim tucked in the corner, unwilling to look at anyone. Gurses made one last effort to get Prim adopted as her deadline loomed. Someone needed to step up before 7 p.m. October 30.
The last-ditch effort to get Prim’s story out proved useful, and her luck changed. Gurses said a “wonderful family” adopted her right before time ran out.
And while Prim received her happy ending, Gurses said the reality is that she’s not the only dog who comes into the animal shelter defeated.
“We have many others like her that decline as soon as they get to the shelter,” Gurses said. “The ones that know what a real home feels like seem to be taking the shelter adjustment much harder.”
Around 2.8 million dogs and cats entered the U.S. shelters in the first half of 2025—a 4 percent decrease from last year, Newsweek previously reported. Although there was a dip, shelters remain overcapacity, with 175,000 more animals arriving than leaving from January to June.
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