A senior rescue dog has been left heartbroken after being returned to the shelter she was adopted from a decade ago.

Dori Scofield, the president of Save-A-Pet Rescue in Port Jefferson Station in New York, told Newsweek that Molly the 10-year-old cattle dog mix is “confused and sad” after circumstances beyond her control saw her back at the shelter.

“Molly was originally adopted out from us as a puppy,” she explained. “In our contract it says we will always take our dogs back. Ten years later the owners decided to move to the Dominican Republic and return Molly.”

Senior rescue dogs are less likely to be adopted than their younger canine counterparts. A 2015 study conducted by Priceonomics found that while 95 percent of puppies listed for adoption on the website Petfinder ended up finding homes, that percentage dropped to 68 percent among senior dogs.

The bustle of a busy shelter environment can also prove difficult for a dog so used to home comforts like Molly is. According to a study published in the scientific journal Applied Animal Behavior Science in 2015, researchers have identified a link between living in an animal shelter and increases in physiological and psychological distress among cats and dogs.

While Molly thankfully isn’t struggling so much with life in the shelter, Scofield said she has been left confused by what has unfolded. “She is a sweet tempered cattle dog mix who does not understand what happened,” she said. “Dogs don’t understand why one day they are in a home for 10 years and the next in a shelter without any of the familiarities of home.”

Scofield said extra steps are being taken to make Molly feel as safe and comfortable as possible. “She is adjusting though and our volunteers are great. They spend a lot of time with her,” she said. Molly has also undergone treatment for a couple of ongoing health issues. Scofield said: “Our vet removed a growth off her leg and gave her a full dental so she can smile again!”

Though Molly has only been with the shelter for a relatively short time, Scofield and the staff there already have a pretty clear picture in their minds of the type of home she would suit best. “She has not lived with other dogs, cats or small kids. That is not to say she couldn’t but I’d rather find her a nice quiet, loving home with adults that are just looking for an already trained, gentle dog to love,” Scofield said.

The hope now is that that special someone will come forward and mend Molly’s broken heart.