For a lot of us, our pets are like family. They give us love, friendship, and happiness. But for many dogs, life is really different.

Shelters are important, but they can be tough places. The loud sounds, new people, and not enough personal attention can be really stressful for a dog that wants to be close to humans.

Meghin, a caring woman from Richmond, Virginia, knows this all too well. She works hard to give shelter dogs like Gigi a special break from the kennel.

Gigi, a four-year-old dog with a big heart, is one of the fortunate ones. Every week, Meghin takes her out for a fun day of adventures.

Gigi’s little trips are always full of happiness and adventure. Whether she’s wandering through trails or playing in rivers, she gets to enjoy a life that’s so different from being in the shelter.

However, these perfect days can’t last forever, and the ride back home shows just how much these little getaways mean to her.

Here, I’m going to show you a touching video of Gigi’s reaction when she realized they were going back to the shelter.

Her happy eyes lost their sparkle, and she seemed so sad. But right away, so many kind people expressed their care and concern.

@ex_barista Saddest part about only taking gigi out of the shelter for a few hours is returning her to the shelter. Gigi (Grab N Go) is waiting for her forever person at RACC, ✨her adoption link is in my bio✨ I’m her virtual foster. I take her on an outing once a week and post about her in hopes to find her a home. @Richmond Animal Care & Control #shelterdog #shelterpetsoftiktok #shelterdogsoftiktok #pitbull #dogadoption ♬ fade into you – refilmx

Even though it was tough, it wasn’t completely terrible! Meghin felt sad seeing Gigi looking down, but it was such a relief to see her smile again when her shelter caretakers greeted her with big hugs when they got back.

While the workers at Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC) put in a lot of effort to take care of the animals, I know it can be really hard on them too. They can’t give them the same love and attention that a real home can.

Gigi, in particular, has a hard time adjusting back to the kennel. Even with these difficulties, the staff is still hopeful that Gigi will find a family that can give her the love, patience, and stability she needs.

Until that happens, Meghin and others like her keep providing important support, bringing a little bit of hope during tough times. And I can’t thank them enough for that!