Many can argue the benefits and drawbacks of social media, but the truth is this is a very powerful tool that, when used in the right way and for the right purpose, it can do great things.
Exactly two hours and six minutes was all it took for an amazing community of animal lovers to save the life of two canine friends.
But, the real stars here are Kala and Keira… two beautiful shelter dogs that clung to each other, begging for life.
Their desperate plea for help touched many hearts all over the world, and thankfully, they were given a second chance in life.
The Power Of The Hug
Kala, a brown hound mix, and Keira, a boxer mix, were scheduled for euthanasia when something remarkable happened.
Malena Evans, of the Etowah County Humane Center, took a photo of two best friends hugging. Kala had her two front legs wrapped around her best friend, with a desperate look on her face asking for help.
They still had so much life in them, but unfortunately, like many dogs in overcrowded shelters, they were set to be put down unless the shelter found someone to adopt them immediately.
A couple of hours before their euthanization, the Atlanta Georgia charity, Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, shared a snap of them hugging on their Facebook page, asking for urgent help.
The photo read: “I’m Kala. This is Keira. We’re so scared in here. Keira is black and not a ‘real boxer,’ just a mix. She’s so brave, and tells me it will be okay no matter what happens. She tells me to be brave, too, but I don’t know if I can be.”
“Can you see our faces? Keira knows what will happen. You can see it in her eyes. She’s putting on a brave face for sure, but I can feel her heart beating fast while I’m clinging to her. If no one saves us, someone will take her away from me.”
The heartbreaking post ended with: “She won’t come back, and I’ll cry. They’ll come for me next, and I won’t be as brave. We’ve comforted each other while we were here. She gave me hope when I had none. Now, it’s over. Unless…”
In just a couple of minutes, the photo of these two adorable pups hugging each other was shared thousands of times.
The rescue warned that there was no time to spare. The situation was as urgent as urgent could get.
Amazingly, only two hours and six minutes after the original post, the two best friends were already on their way to their foster home.
The powerful hug and the picture were able to bring people together and make a difference…
It is both beautiful and amazing to see that with a little bit of love, everything is possible.
These two beautiful souls were fortunately saved from eternal sleep; however, their story doesn’t end here.
They still needed to find someone to adopt them, but that proved to be a little bit challenging since it is difficult to adopt two dogs together.
Anne Clarke, of Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, said: “Keira would do well being adopted alone, but Kala would definitely miss her, so we are trying to adopt them together.”
This Is What Happily Ever After Looks Like
Separating these two best friends would definitely be a shame. They simply belong together.
The icing on the cake was when two wonderful ladies from Georgia applied to adopt these sweet girls.
It took a while, but Kala and Keira were finally going to get their furever home.
They are now living their best life together with lots of love, treatos, and affection they deserve. They wrestle together, play together, and enjoy being happy.
You are safe now, beautiful girls.
Sometimes, a hug makes all the difference.
And, yes… if you are wondering – they still hug each other.
Their story took the world by storm, and not only did it save their life, but it also shined the light on the plight of homeless animals.
With the help of many donors, Angels Among Us Pet Rescue continues to save animals in need. We can do amazing things if we all work together.
Unfortunately, there will always be another ‘Kala and Keira’ that need to be rescued, and stories like this can only be possible if we all work together and show some support to people who work tirelessly to save these precious animals.