Depressed pup smiles for the first time in years after heartwarming reunion

Johnson City, Tennessee - For months, Roscoe the dog stared silently ahead of him without wagging his tail once – but that was about to change.

"It was like he was just kind of existing," the director of the shelter recalled.
"It was like he was just kind of existing," the director of the shelter recalled.

It's been almost six months since the Washington County animal shelter received a call from an angry pedestrian complaining about a stray that had been living on the streets for several years.

Shortly afterwards, the shelter employees decided to give the little rascal a new home.

But while they were very happy about the new addition to their big family, the newcomer himself did not seem so enthusiastic.

Golden Retriever dog is gifted his own mini-me puppy on Christmas!
Dogs Golden Retriever dog is gifted his own mini-me puppy on Christmas!

"The entire time he was here he was very timid, very reserved … it was like he didn't have a personality ... He wasn't acting like a dog," Tammy Davis, the director of the shelter, recalled in an interview with The Dodo.

He didn't allow anyone to comfort him, let alone touch him. “It was like he was kind of just existing,” Davis explained.

But it wasn't long before everything changed – and all it took was one Facebook post.

Suddenly, a big smile appeared on the dog's face

As soon as the post went live, the shelter received a message:

"I think that's my dog and he's been missing for three years," one man wrote.

Roscoe's owner had finally been found. The long-awaited reunion occurred shortly thereafter.

"The rest of us backed away and let the gentleman in there with Roscoe and it was just amazing," Davis remembered with a smile on her face. "It was like something clicked and he was like, 'This is my person, my daddy.'"

Suddenly Roscoe started jumping around, wagging his tail up and down. For the first time, there seemed to be a satisfied smile on his face.

"It was obvious that this was his owner, it just took him a few minutes to realize who it was, and then he knew instantly."

Cover photo: Montage: Facebook/Screenshot/Washington County, TN Animal Shelter

More on Animals: