Shelter Posts Emotional Sign to Help ‘Invisible Dog’ Finally Get Noticed

When Carlie arrived at the Humane Society of Broward County as a young pup, her journey had already been a difficult one.

She’d lived as a stray on the streets of the Cayman Islands, and by the time she made it to the shelter, she was overwhelmed and deeply fearful of her new surroundings.

Though Carlie was quietly curious, the bustling shelter environment only made her retreat further into herself. The longer she stayed, the more she shut down — until she was barely visible at all.

“Carlie really struggled in the shelter. She grew more withdrawn each day,” said Susan Leonti, digital marketing specialist at the shelter.

“She’d curl up at the back of her kennel, completely out of view. She was so hidden, we began calling her ‘the invisible dog.’”

Determined to help her, the staff came up with a new strategy: they moved Carlie to a more visible kennel and began gently socializing her. Bit by bit, she started to come out of her shell.

“She started associating people with good things — treats, affection, gentle voices,” Leonti said. “Her confidence began to grow, and she started spending more time near the front of the kennel.”

But even with her progress, Carlie was still being passed by. Her shyness made her easy to overlook next to the more outgoing dogs.

So the team did something simple but powerful — they put up a sign on Carlie’s kennel, sharing her story as “The Invisible Dog.”

“We wanted people to pause and truly see her,” Leonti said. “And that sign made all the difference.”

When the shelter posted the sign and Carlie’s story on social media, it quickly touched hearts.

@humanebroward

Please share for Carlie 🥺🙏 Carlie has been waiting for a home for almost half a year 💔 That’s longer than any other dog at our shelter 😔 Sadly, Carlie used to hide in the back of her kennel, where adopters could not see her, so she went overlooked for months. She was so hidden that she became known as the invisible dog 💔 Well, we’ve been working with Carlie every day with positive reinforcement and we moved her to our most public kennel to help socialize her, and guess what? This sweet girl is slowly coming out of her shell! 🙏🥹 Carlie is now learning to trust and is coming to the front of her kennel. She’s even getting the courage to ask for treats with her paw! ☺️ Carlie is what we call a “Pup in Progress” and she is coming along so well! She is a young girl, only 1 years-old. She has so much life ahead of her and plenty of time to become the confident dog she really wants to be. Now, all Carlie needs is an adopter or foster family that will let her continue her progress at her own pace, but in the comfort of a loving home. Can you adopt or foster dear Carlie? 🙏❤️ If you cannot adopt or foster, please share Carlie’s post! 🙏 Carlie’s adoption fee has kindly been sponsored by @JRDUNN JEWELERS To meet her, please start by submitting an application online (link is in bio) then come on in. We’re open 7 days a week. The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Adoptions open at 11am. Call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 with any questions ❤️ #rescuedog #shelterdog #adoptme #adoptdontshop #humanebroward #fortlauderdale #florida #dogvideos #southflorida #miami #browardcounty #miamidade #dogs #dogoftheday #dogsoftiktok #dogshelter #animalshelter #fyp #foryou #shepherd #shepherdmix #shepherdsoftiktok #germanshepherdmix #pupsinprogress #shydog #foryoupage

♬ original sound – Humane Society Broward County

One woman saw the post on Facebook and knew instantly: she was meant to be Carlie’s family.

She drove over two hours to meet her — and adopted her on the spot.

Today, Carlie is no longer invisible. She’s happy, safe, and finally home.