Rio appeared to be in grief, ready to give up, hiding his head in a corner the entire time.

Employees at Detroit Animal Care and Control phoned Detroit Dog Rescue because they realized they had to act soon or risk losing Rio for good (DDR).

Executive director of DDR Kristina Millman-Rinaldi stated to The Dodo:

"We take on the [most challenging] medical and mental health [shelter] issues, such as kennel-dwelling dogs that may be shutting down or experiencing neuroses. Many people are unaware of how perceptive and sensitive dogs can be. They experience everything that occurs around them, just like people do.