Every shelter dog is just looking for a home. But sadly, it can take some longer than others to get adopted. Some dogs wait weeks, months or years to finally find the right home.
But it’s important to not give up hope: shelters work extra hard to showcase their longest residents, hoping they’ll finally get adopted out.
Last month, one shelter shared an inspiring success story: one of their pit bulls finally found a home, after over 300 days of waiting.
About a year ago, Pepe arrived at the Pennsylvania SPCA. He was reportedly in “emaciated condition” after coming from a cruel and neglectful home.
The SPCA took him in and nursed him back to health, although they wrote that this turned out to be “the easiest part of his journey.”
It soon became clear that the confines of the shelter was no place for this restless dog.
“Pepe was a smart boy, and living in a kennel was hard for him,” the PSPCA wrote on Twitter. “He was stressed, constantly panting, jumping, and protesting when it was time to go back in after walks with friends.”
However, whenever he got to leave the kennel, Pepe “flourished”: “He loved long walks, hopping in the car joyfully.”
It became clear that Pepe needed a home, and soon — but it was easier said than done. While the PSPCA frequently showcased the dog on social media, months passed with no interested adopters.
“I think his biggest barrier was his inability to live with other dogs,” PSPCA Manager of Lifesaving Maddie Bernstein told Daily Paws. “He would pull towards them and bark loudly and just come in a little hot. So we had to find a home with other dogs or cats and a home with no young children because of his intense energy levels.”
They also were in a race against time: “We had to find a home before he deteriorated to the point of no return in shelter,” they wrote.
Pepe waited for 348 days, becoming one of the shelter’s longest residents. The PSPCA continued to post regular “Pepe posts,” hoping just the right family would finally take him home.
And last month, they finally got the happy ending they were waiting for: Pepe got adopted!
The PSPCA says that the family met Pepe three times before adopting, so it sounds like it’s a perfect match.
Photos shared by the PSPCA show that Pepe has quickly made himself at home, adjusting to the warmth and peace of his new surroundings.
“Instead of laying on the concrete floor in the shelter, he now busily naps next to his parents,” the PSPCA wrote on Twitter. “He isn’t panting, or jumping – he is content.”
Pepe’s adoption brings to a close a nearly yearlong mission by the shelter, but while they’re celebrating, they also know there is still work to be done.
“Pepe’s story is not an uncommon one,” the PSPCA wrote. “There are so many deserving dogs in shelters who get overlooked for various reasons. Or maybe for no reason at all. Dogs like Pepe are our reasons – they are our whys. And we know they are yours too.”
“Today, we celebrate finding [a forever home] for Pepe. And tomorrow, we’ll turn the page to help more dogs just like him.”
We’re so glad Pepe finally found a forever home! Thank you to the PSPCA for not giving up on this poor dog and making sure he finally got the happy ending he deserved.
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