10/16/2026
The call came from the city's open intake shelter: a 16-year-old dog had been surrendered for owner-requested euthanasia. When the dog was scanned for a chip, it came back to us.
Her name was Matilda.
She was adopted from the Pennsylvania SPCA in 2015, and nearly 11 years later, she would be returning to our care. We are dedicated to our animals for life and always accept them back, no matter how much time has passed; Matilda was no exception.
We went to pick her up immediately.
We later learned that her family called her Tillie. They had surrendered her because, they said, she was old, wasn’t eating, and was falling over.
We prepared ourselves for the hardest kind of goodbye. If it was truly her time, we wanted her to be surrounded by love, warm and safe, and never alone.
Then Matilda walked into our shelter hospital.
She didn’t stumble. She didn’t fall. She looked around, took us all in, and wagged her tail. For a dog of her age, she looked remarkably good, and every day since has told the same story.
Matilda greets everyone who comes to see her with a happy wag. She’s sweet, and she’s clearly not finished yet. She deserves to live the rest of her days, no matter how many there may be, on a soft bed in a home of her own.
Matilda has already given one family 11 years. Now we’re looking for someone who will give her the same promise…but this time forever.
This $5 Friday, will you help us care for Matilda while she waits for her forever family?
Please consider donating today, and if you have room in your heart and home for a sweet senior, ask us about meeting her.
