After two years of waiting to be adopted, a stray dog who was so often ignored by visitors has finally left the animal shelter and been taken into foster care instead.
Red was taken to the shelter run by Associated Humane Societies (AHS) in Newark, New Jersey, in November 2021, but in his enduring 2-year wait, he’s barely received any interest from adopters. It’s not certain what Red went through in the past, but it certainly didn’t stop him from being one of the most excitable and energetic pups inside the shelter.
As the social media coordinator for AHS, Olivia Gonzalez has tried to spread the word about Red online and encourage more people to consider adopting this bundle of fun. But it was never meant to be, because, Gonzalez told Newsweek, when visitors came by, “Red was never the highlight of the kennel.”
Despite the shelter’s best efforts to help Red find a loving family, Gonzalez thinks that people were too cautious about taking him on because he was always so lively.
Associated Humane Societies
She said: “We believe he has waited so long because he needs to be adopted into a home with adults, and he was usually passed up because he was deemed too energetic.”
Shelters across the country are struggling to keep up with the masses of pets being brought through their doors every day. As Newsweek has previously reported, many shelters are way over their capacity as a result of falling adoption levels and unethical breeding practices.
Latest estimates from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests that there are more than 6.3 million companion animals in shelters, 3.1 million of those are dogs. While it’s thought that around 4.1 million animals get adopted each year, there are still many more who continue waiting to find their forever family.
Although Red was never the lucky one at the Newark shelter, he has since been transferred to the Heart and Soul Dog Rescue, where he’s been fostered by the facility’s president. While they are still hopeful that he’ll find a lasting home, the facility will be able to enroll him in training to quash any behavior that potential adopters may consider undesirable.
Staff at the AHS in Newark might be devastated to see Red go, but they are entirely optimistic that he’s going to have a wonderful experience that may even lead to a permanent home.
“We at the shelter are sending a heartfelt wish for Red’s journey ahead as he takes steps towards a brighter future outside the shelter,” Gonzalez told Newsweek. “May he be embraced by a loving home, where happiness overflows, and his days are filled with warmth and joy.
“We’re so grateful that he’s found his way out, and here’s to the beginning of a beautiful chapter in Red’s life.”
Do you have any rescue or adoption videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.