The owner of a little dog made the heart-wrenching decision to leave him at the shelter where he was adopted years before, but the love that binds them is greater, and he returned for him to share the most tender embrace.

Despite the countless stories we hear about irresponsible people abandoning their pets in the most heartless and inhumane ways, Lewis Jiménez had to make the toughest decision of his life by sending his beloved Titus back to the shelter.

Titus, the dog, was adopted as a puppy in Austin, Texas.

Lewis fell in love with the pitbull during a visit to the Austin Animal Center shelter. At that time, Titus was only two years old, and his cute face and excited wagging tail captivated Lewis, convincing him to start the adoption process.

“He was jumping and happy, and I thought, ‘Man, that’s the one I want,'” Jiménez recalled.

After that day, the dog settled into his new home, where he lived happily for five years. For Titus, that time was like living on cloud nine; happiness never lacked in his life. However, destiny had a twist in store.

The dog would experience abandonment once again.

Lewis had to move, and his new landlord didn’t allow pets. The landlord demanded that his tenant get rid of Titus, or else they both had to leave the place.

Although Lewis tried to find someone trustworthy to care for the dog while he sorted things out, no one wanted to take care of the little angel.

Lewis had no choice but to take Titus back to the shelter.

He thought the dog wouldn’t be better off anywhere else but there since he had lived there before. However, that didn’t make the goodbye any less painful.

Both Lewis and the dog suffered in the moment of parting, and that convinced the shelter staff that Lewis would return for the animal.

His owner loved him too much to leave him there forever.

Jennifer, a volunteer at the Austin Animal Center, confessed that initially, no one believed that Lewis would return, as many people make such promises and don’t follow through.

“From our point of view, we can’t keep dogs, because we hear owners say this all the time, that they’ll come back, but then they don’t,” explained the animal lover.

Although Titus had lived there before, his adaptation was not easy, and the dog began to change his mood during his stay there.

“The shelter is a very, very stressful place for dogs. Some handle it better than others, but Titus was not one of them. He was really stressed. When you took him out of his kennel, he was great, super playful, and very sweet. But in his kennel, he’s cranky and very sad,” Jennifer explained.

Titus stayed at the shelter for four long months, and although Lewis visited him often, his sadness was evident. That’s why the man did everything possible to get his dog back.

“He felt overwhelmed and was very sad. Volunteers took notes like, ‘Titus is not himself.’ All of that just made me more determined to do what I had to do to get him out,” said the owner.

After that agonizing stay for the dog, the creature managed to return to his owner’s arms. Lewis and his family were able to resolve their housing problems and moved to a property with a spacious yard for Titus to be free and comfortable.

That was the best news for the furry friend.

On the day Lewis returned for the dog, Titus couldn’t believe it, and they shared another hug that was captured by the shelter photographer’s lens. Everyone at the shelter was moved by the beautiful scene.

“The staff would see them crying when they left. So the whole situation was heartbreaking,” Jennifer explained.

At the end of the day, the dog returned to his true family, and Lewis vowed never to part from him again. Moreover, the man was deeply grateful to the shelter staff for their consideration toward him and his family in accepting to care for Titus. But above all, this owner thanked them for their patience and care for his beloved dog.

Finding a faithful dog is a blessing, but even greater is knowing that this loyalty is reciprocated by their humans. Blessings and standing ovations for Lewis and Titus.