Hearts break for dog returned to shelter after one hour for shocking reason

When a family adopted a tiny rescue dog from Mission Paws in Kota, India, it seemed like a happy ending for a survivor who had already beaten impossible odds. 

But just one hour later, the dog—a 4-year-old toy Pomeranian named Toothless—was brought back. Their reason? His mouth smelled bad.

“They said the entire room was full of his foul mouth smell. They wanted to return him ASAP, and we agreed, of course,” Tanya Singh, co-founder of Mission Paws, told Newsweek. “I couldn’t understand why he was being rejected after everything he did to miraculously survive.”

Toothless’ Journey

Toothless’ story began around 45 days earlier, when workers at a local factory spotted the frail white dog hiding among machines. Singh and her team rushed to the site and were horrified by what they found.

His fur was singed and bitten, his arm broken, and his mouth crawling with maggots.

“He was badly abused with deep maggot wounds inside his mouth, a broken arm, burn and bite marks throughout his fur,” Singh said.

Weighing just 3 to 4 kilograms (6 to 8 pounds)—small enough to fit inside a handbag—Toothless was named for his missing teeth and distinctive jaw. His lower jaw is smaller than his upper one, leaving a small gap that causes a faint odor. 

It’s harmless and easily managed with brushing, Singh said, but his adopters refused to continue the care routine.

“The adopter was hyperfocused on his breed and size, even though they cared for street dogs, which is why we trusted them, they acted ignorant towards Toothless’ history of abuse,” Singh said. 

According to Shelter Animals Count’s 2025 mid-year report, around 2.8 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters and rescues between January and June 2025, a 4 percent drop from the previous year. 

Despite this decline, shelters remain over capacity, with 175,000 more animals arriving than leaving in the same period. Roughly 1.4 million dogs entered shelters, more than half as strays, while adoptions slipped slightly to 1.9 million nationwide.

Internet Reacts

Singh shared Toothless’ story on Instagram with the caption, “They returned him in one hour,” and the post gained viral attention with thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. 

“Just the love that he’s gotten despite his looks, it’s heartwarming. I wish he’d know how much he’s loved from throughout the world,” Singh said.

“Definitely don’t deserve him or any other animal,” one commenter said. Another added, “I hate seeing these posts because if I had the financial power, I’d adopt all of these babies.”

“Giving back a dog because they have bad breath is not acceptable. I bet their breath wasn’t so nice either,” wrote another commenter.

Since then, adoption appeals have poured in from across India and overseas. For now, he remains at Mission Paws’ rehabilitation space, where Singh says he’s thriving—gentle, playful, and happiest when following people around for cuddles.

“His only requirement is patience and attention. He loves following humans around, and he loves cuddles,” Singh said. “He is a bit wary of dogs bigger than him. He’s never attacked, barked or growled but he gets super scared when a dog approaches him unattended.”

Toothless is far from the first dog to be returned to a shelter after adoption. One dog’s reaction to being returned to the shelter after a day trip recently broke hearts online, while another pet recently returned to the shelter for a second time left workers angry when she came back “filthy and full of mats.”