Energetic pup spent 500 days waiting for home. Then he ‘hit the shelter dog jackpot’
An energetic pup spent more than a year waiting to be adopted — then came a heartwarming update.
“After 557 days of compassionate care at our no-kill shelter, Spanky hit the shelter dog jackpot with a beautiful amazing family and a loving forever home,” the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society of North Carolina wrote on Facebook.
The shelter shared the good news Sept. 24, after the friendly dog had formed a close bond with its workers.
“He was a staff favorite for sure so I think a tear or two was shed when he was adopted,” shelter manager Kaitlyn Moss Villarreal told McClatchy News in an email. “But that is the best thing you could hope for a shelter dog so of course we were all so happy.”
Spanky is starting his next chapter after a journey that started in February 2023. He was picked up as a stray then arrived at the shelter in the Sapphire area, a roughly 55-mile drive southwest from the popular mountain town of Asheville.
As he waited for a home, Spanky showed signs of stress in his kennel, possibly due to separation anxiety. The shelter worked with him, and he became known as a “sweet” 4-year-old pup bursting with energy.
“Spanky adores attention and affection and he loves every human he comes into contact with,” the shelter wrote Aug. 13 on social media. “He dreams every day of a forever home of his very own and someone who will give him the unconditional love he deserves and so freely gives in return.”
Then, after months of not getting much interest, the shelter finally celebrated Spanky’s adoption. He was matched with new owners who live in Pickens, South Carolina.
“His new mom said, ‘He’s the perfect balance of playful and chill, lively yet obedient for our family,’” Villarreal wrote.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Energetic pup spent 500 days waiting for home. Then he ‘hit the shelter dog jackpot’."
