Juicee appeared like she was just like every other dog when she made her way to the Austin Animal Shelter in June of 2022. Lacking a chip or identification tag, she was held for three days before being put up for adoption. After 300 days waiting in the center, her pictures were uploaded to Facebook in hopes of finding a family.
“Juicee was in great condition when she was first brought in,” Kelsey Cler, the marketing and communications manager for Austin Animal Center said. “She was hesitant with strangers and showed some touch sensitivity. Her kennel presence wasn’t great, which contributed to her long stay.”
Overtime, she became more trusting of those working in the facility. “She had a group of volunteers who handled her, and she loved everyone once she was introduced to them,” Cler said, adding that she also began to play with the other dogs.
One year earlier when she disappeared, her family was told by a neighbor that the dog had died. “There can be a lot of prejudice around pit bull ownership,” Cler said. “We can really only speculate on why the neighbor didn’t want the dog reunited with her family.” Months later, the family moved to Miami, but one member stayed on a Facebook group called Cubanos de Austin, where the pictures were shared.
When the family saw the images, they immediately drove 20 hours to pick up their beloved dog! You can view a video of their encounter above. “Juicee was SO HAPPY!” Cler said about the reunion. “No hesitation or touch sensitivity with her family — she was all over them, and they were all over her.”
“They just couldn’t believe it,” Cler said. “They really thought she was dead. Lots of tears … They headed straight back to Miami with her.” Juicee is now able to make up for the lost time back with her amazing family!
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