Tears as breeding dog who spend “entire life in a cage” is finally adopted

A dog who was rescued from a puppy mill spent months waiting in a shelter to be adopted, but she barely received any interest—then social media stepped up.

Bertha the 7-year-old mastiff spent “her entire life in a cage” as she was used for breeding. She produced litter after litter, while never receiving any love. When Bertha served her purpose and was no longer useful, she was just discarded and left to fend for herself.

Bertha was taken in by Border Tails Rescue in Northbrook, Illinois, where she spent nine months. Sadly, she was frequently overlooked, and often the only visits she received were from shelter volunteers, Eric Noxon and Joseph Masloski.

Despite having a wonderful temperament around people, Noxon told Newsweek that Bertha “doesn’t fit the typical mold of an easy adoption.” She is a large dog, weighing around 170 pounds, and she isn’t good with other animals. Because of that, no one ever came to see her.

“She’s a total gentle giant with people—affectionate, mellow, and just wants love,” Noxon said. “She does get reactive when she sees other animals, but, with people, she’s unbelievably sweet.”

For a special treat, the duo took Bertha out for the day to give her some time away from the shelter. They took her to a nearby forest preserve where she made the most of not being couped up by running around. It was clear that she absolutely loved every moment of her day out.

Noxon continued: “She was incredibly sweet. She loves attention, enjoys going on walks, and is content just hanging out. She’s got a calm, loving personality—especially around people.”

But after giving Bertha a day she would never forget, Noxon and Masloski, from Chicago, Illinois, didn’t just stop there. They shared her “heartbreaking” story on social media (@eric.and.joey on TikTok and Instagram), highlighting that she was still in need of a home.

The post went viral with over 1.8 million views and more than 169,600 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.

Alongside the video, the caption reads: “We believe there’s someone out there for her—but we need your help to reach them.”

The online response was beyond anything they could have imagined. Masloski told Newsweek that their social-media followers were “so supportive,” as they shared Bertha’s story, offered advice, and provided resources to help.

“The exposure was huge as millions of people saw her story. That kind of visibility means someone out there who’s the right fit had to see it, and they did,” Masloski added.

Indeed, the duo found an adopter in Oregon who was willing to give Bertha a forever home. She doesn’t have any other pets, has a fenced yard, and previous experience with a mastiff. Masloski said she is perfect to give Bertha “all the love and attention she needs.”

The only problem? It’s a 33-hour journey by car.

But Noxon and Masloski aren’t letting that stop them, and they’re driving Bertha all the way themselves.

They have been blown away by the love and support for Bertha, and they are delighted that she is finally going to start a new life away from the shelter.

Of course, staff at Border Tails Rescue are equally as happy, but a spokesperson for the rescue told Newsweek that the helpers are sad to see part of their “shelter family” leave.

They said: “While our hearts are a little heavy to say goodbye, they’re even more full knowing she’s heading to the most wonderful forever home. She may have been overlooked due to her age, size, and need to be the only pet—but, to us, she’s always been royalty.”

Border Tails Rescue is incredibly grateful to both Noxon and Masloski for sharing her story and helping to find her a home.

The duo has continued sharing videos of Bertha online following the influx of adoption applications that she received. Since going viral, her story has amassed over 3,500 comments on the TikTok post.

One comment reads: “Hoping this baby doesn’t spend the rest of her life in that shelter.”

Another TikTok user wrote: “What a sweetie. I hope she finds the perfect home.”

A third person added: “You guys are the best. She needed you both to give her unforgettable day!”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.