Shelter workers are used to seeing dogs do surprising things.

But when they walked into Maya’s kennel one day, they had to stop and take a second look.

The 5-year-old Husky wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

She was standing on top of her kennel.

Somehow, this clever girl had figured out how to escape her covered enclosure and turn the top of it into her personal lookout spot.

And the strangest part? Maya didn’t look frightened or even particularly guilty.

She looked completely comfortable.

How Did She Even Get Up There?

Maya had somehow climbed the walls of her kennel, squeezed through a small opening near the wall and made her way onto the wire cover.

Once she reached the top, she apparently decided there was no reason to rush back down.

Shelter staff were both amused and amazed by the discovery.

Maya hadn’t destroyed anything or caused a frantic scene. She had simply solved a problem.

Her kennel was an obstacle.

She found a way around it.

The shelter staff couldn’t help joking that Maya had essentially decided the locks were just puzzles waiting to be solved.

And judging by her expression, she seemed pretty pleased with herself.

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Her Past Makes the Moment Even Sweeter

Maya’s escape act might have been funny, but knowing what she had experienced only months earlier made the moment much more meaningful.

In May, animal control officers rescued Maya from a yard in Richmond, Virginia.

She was in rough condition, with a chain wrapped twice around her neck. The chain had become embedded in her neck, causing her significant pain and discomfort.

After everything she had endured, it would have been understandable if Maya had become fearful or withdrawn.

Instead, she emerged as a remarkably happy dog.

Shelter staff describe her as exuberant and full of life. She loves people and seems determined to enjoy every opportunity that comes her way.

That joyful personality is part of what makes her kennel escape so endearing.

Maya wasn’t trying to run away because she was miserable.

She was simply being Maya.

The Shelter Had to Outsmart Her

After discovering just how resourceful Maya could be, the shelter team knew they needed to make some changes.

They modified her covered kennel, clipping the back so that it sat flush against the wall and eliminated the opening she had used during her great escape.

Apparently, keeping Maya contained required a little engineering.

But the staff weren’t complaining.

Her antics gave them plenty to smile about, and they admired the intelligence behind them.

They even described her as a “problem solver.”

That’s exactly the kind of quality that could make Maya an incredible companion for the right family.

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Now She’s Looking for Her Forever Home

Thankfully, Maya’s kennel-hopping days have taken a positive turn.

After her memorable escape, she moved into a foster home where she seems much more comfortable.

And without the need to constantly figure out how to get out of a kennel, she appears to be settling in nicely.

But there’s still one more place Maya needs to go.

Home.

Her rescuers hope someone will recognize what they see in her: a smart, energetic and incredibly resilient dog who has already overcome a painful past without allowing it to steal her happiness.

Maya’s story began with a chain around her neck.

Now, she’s climbing onto kennels, charming shelter workers and showing everyone just how clever she can be.

She may have been a difficult dog to contain.

But perhaps that’s because Maya was never meant to be contained.

She was meant to be free—and, with the right family, she may finally get the forever home she’s been waiting for.