“It literally brought me to tears …”
One morning, when Breanna Gilliam arrived at Yadkin County Animal Shelter, she noticed something unusual near a sign by the driveway. At first, she brushed it off — until that “something” began barking at her.
“When I went closer, I saw the poor girl tied to our sign,” Gilliam shared with The Dodo. “She was very frightened at first and didn’t want to approach me.” The dog, later named Millie, had been abandoned beside a sign that read, “Abandoning an animal is cruel and illegal. Please do not leave animals unattended at this location.” Despite the warning, someone had left her there alone.
Determined to comfort Millie, Gilliam patiently earned her trust, and soon the gentle dog realized she was finally safe. Millie appeared well-cared-for, very clean, and in good health, suggesting that someone had loved her once. Security footage showed she’d been tied there for roughly two and a half hours before Gilliam found her, and thankfully, she had remained safe during that time.
“She definitely seemed like an indoor dog,” Gilliam noted. “Very well-trained, calm, and with the sweetest, most submissive demeanor.” The shelter posted Millie’s story on Facebook, which quickly captured hearts.
“I saw their Facebook post about her being abandoned, tied to their sign, and it moved me deeply,” Millie’s new mom, Kathy Culler, told The Dodo. “Something about her face and those eyes touched my soul. I immediately reached out about adopting her.” Culler’s family had recently lost a rescue dog of their own, and it felt like the perfect moment to open their hearts again. When she finally met Millie in the shelter lobby, it was love at first sight. Millie had found her forever family, and Culler promised to give her the love and care she had missed.
“As soon as we got in the car, she climbed onto my lap for the ride home. When we passed the sign where she’d been abandoned, I promised her she would never be left behind again,” Culler said.