When 10-year-old Rio lost his owner, his entire world fell apart.
The golden retriever mix had spent his whole life in a loving home — but suddenly, he found himself alone in a noisy shelter, surrounded by strangers, unable to understand why.
At Detroit Animal Care and Control, staff quickly realized Rio wasn’t just sad — he was grieving.
He refused to eat, trembled when anyone tried to touch him, and pressed himself into the corner of his kennel, staring at the wall for hours.
“He wouldn’t look at anybody, wouldn’t respond to his name,” said Kristina Millman-Rinaldi, executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue (DDR). “He was just … gone. You could tell he was mourning the only life he’d ever known.”
Knowing Rio might not survive much longer in that state, the shelter reached out to DDR for help. The rescue often takes on the toughest cases — dogs who are not only physically fragile but emotionally broken. Rio was both.
By the time DDR stepped in, Rio had earned a heartbreaking nickname: “the saddest dog in Detroit.”
And for a while, it seemed fitting — until a volunteer named Ryan Callahan and his wife Tashia saw his story.
“It was the right dog, right place, right time,” Callahan told The Dodo. “He needed us — and we could give him what he needed most: time and love.”
Even though they already had two family dogs and another foster, the couple didn’t hesitate. The night before Valentine’s Day, they drove through the snow to bring Rio home.
For the first time in weeks, Rio didn’t turn away.
They set up a quiet room for him in Callahan’s home office, where he could rest and decompress. Every day, as Callahan worked, Rio stayed by his side — and slowly, the light began to return to his eyes.
“He’s gone from howling all day and hiding in the corner to sleeping peacefully at my feet,” Callahan said.
“Now, he wags his tail when we walk by, and he loves going for walks in the woods with us. I think he just needed a place in someone’s life.”
Rio now follows Callahan everywhere — even curling up in his lap for naps. The man who once couldn’t bear to make eye contact now looks into his rescuer’s eyes with complete trust.
Millman-Rinaldi says DDR will let Rio set the pace for whatever comes next. “Our hope is that he finds his purpose again,” she said. “He’s been through so much loss, but we’re going to help make him whole again.”
As for Callahan, he just wants Rio to feel safe — and loved — for the rest of his days.
“My hope is that he never has to wonder again where he is or what’s happening around him,” he said. “That this new life of his is even better than the last one.”
If you’d like to help dogs like Rio, you can make a donation to Detroit Dog Rescue or apply to be a foster here.
