Isabella, an 8-month-old boxer mix, checked into the PetsHotel in Columbia, Md. for a week-long stay last Thanksgiving. However, when it came time for Isabella to check out, her pet parent never returned to pick her up. Associates made several attempts to reach Isabella’s family but, as the weeks passed, it became clear that they were not coming back for her.
The PetSmart store associates were heartbroken on Isabella’s behalf. “She’s one of the sweetest dogs ever,” said Priscilla, the store leader. “Her situation had an impact on our entire staff.”
Brandon, one of the overnight PetsHotel associates, had an instant connection with Isabella. As the store waited for word from Isabella’s family, Brandon began giving her special attention during her nightly walks and spent lots of quality time with her to ensure she felt extra loved.
Three weeks later, with no sign of her family, hotel associates made the difficult decision to surrender Isabella over to a local shelter. Brandon expressed interest in adopting her, but he was informed that the shelter needed to hold Isabella for a few days before she could be put up for adoption.
Brandon kept in close contact with the shelter and visited Isabella multiple times. “We were told that Isabella seemed sad and didn’t want to interact very much,” said Priscilla. “But whenever Brandon came, she would light up and bounce around her room with excitement.”
Once the holding period had passed, Isabella officially became eligible for adoption. Within just a few days, Brandon was Isabella’s proud new pet parent. “Our entire PetsHotel team was thrilled when Brandon brought Isabella to visit,” said Priscilla. “We’re so happy to have her as part of our PetSmart family and to know she is safe and happy in Brandon’s care.”
