When AJ and his brother Toby came to Carson Animal Shelter, they had no idea they would be abandoned by their family, who had surrendered the two dogs because they couldn’t afford to care for them any longer.

The two dogs were happy and healthy until they became separated and discovered they were separated from their family, each other, and everything they knew. Their home had been replaced with loud barks and a freezing kennel surrounded by strangers.

The two dogs “did wonderfully walking on a leash next to each other when they came in, but now they are confused and alone and missing each other and home,” according to Saving Carson Shelter Dogs, which launched an online campaign to save them.

Six-year-old AJ was extremely traumatized after being separated from his sibling and wailed in his kennel. It was the video of AJ weeping in his kennel that would soon attract everyone’s attention.

“AJ is 100% pure, beautiful, kind, and loving; he loves other dogs, and he misses his sibling,” wrote Saving Carson Shelter Dogs. “He is shutting down; he has a cold, and he needs your help.”

The video quickly went viral, and AJ and his sibling were saved from being killed by the rescue community in just a few days.

AJ’s tears would soon be replaced with a cheerful wag of his tail as he was rescued from the shelter. Rescuers were on hand to capture his triumphant exit from the shelter.

At the time of his rescue, Saving Carson Shelter Dogs noted, “This beauty grabbed the hearts of a lot of people and today he was lucky enough to take his FREEDOM Walk out of the Shelter, even while he is fighting with a cold. He was saved and we are hoping tomorrow that Rescue will work with the separate Rescue that is saving his Bonded Brother TOBY, so they can be reunited. Both had been severely sad following their divorce… Happy life sweet AJ.”

That is exactly what occurred. Soon after, AJ was adopted by a wonderful new family. Even better, the family opted to adopt Toby as well!

People who didn’t give up on the two dogs and tried to help them were successful, and they were saved.