Imagine waiting half your life (or longer) to come home.
That’s exactly what these loving and gritty animal companions did:
Wiggles, a pit mix, had spent 11 of her 14 years at 5As Animal Shelter in Godfrey, Illinois, before being adopted by a Missouri couple in February, 2021. Entering the shelter at age three Wiggles was beset with behavioral problems but responded well to intervention, per Karla Crane, a dog trainer at 5As. Unfortunately, soon after she’d begun trusting humans, Wiggles developed a benign tumor that swelled to the size of a cantaloupe. Shelter vets recommended against surgery given Wiggles’ advanced age. People were reportedly reluctant to adopt Wiggles due to food allergies requiring costly medication. Her age and medical comorbidities meant nothing to her new family who’ve loved her unwaveringly and provided all she needed for a comfortable life.
After nearly seven years at the Marion-Grant County Humane Society in Indiana, Sandi, a 12-year-old pit-Boxer mix, was adopted by a couple in January, 2020. The couple, who'd recently lost their own dog, couldn’t stop thinking about Sandi after meeting her at the shelter, an official reported. Donning a little red crown on the day of her departure, Sandi was flanked by shelter staff offering her hugs and kisses. A sign outside the shelter read, “Good luck, Sandi!”
Tyson is not just the name of a famed prize fighter. It is also the name of an eight-year-old orange tabby wrestling with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Tyson resided for six years at the Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation, Inc. animal shelter in Dillsburg, PA. Picked up as a stray, Tyson tested positive for FIV upon arrival to the shelter. While Tyson’s condition dissuaded others from adopting him, a local couple with heart and means swept up the feline after perusing his profile on PetFinder.com. Contrary to shelter staff warnings about an adjustment period to life on the “outside,” Tyson purred and slinked his way into the couple’s hearts from the moment he arrived home.
The Green Dog Rescue Project in Windsor, California, had valiantly cared for 12-year-old Jayda for seven years until she was adopted in January, 2020. A local ABC News affiliate had featured Jayda on its Pet Perfect segment nearly a year before she walked out of the shelter for the last time with her trainer.
For seven long years, prospective adopters continuously passed “Pirate” up for younger pups, often shooting her pitiful looks and throw-away sentiments, per staff at Oahu SPCA. Just when all seemed hopeless, a military couple stationed in Hawaii fell in love with the 11-year-old golden retriever mix on the rescue’s online animal profiles. “Jennifer” was particularly smitten by Pirate’s fly-away ears. “She was the dog no one wanted and won my heart over immediately,” Jennifer said. Joyful a day as this was, the couple could not take her until they had a permanent home. That didn’t stop Jennifer from buying a veritable Pirate’s booty including a plush bed and cushy toys and visiting her daily in the shelter. Two months later, Pirate was home for good — zooming about like any dog who’d been given new life.
Unfortunately, these stories of reprieve after a lengthy shelter stay are the exception, not the rule.
Currently, more than 30 U.S. states have “holding period” laws that determine how long an impounded animal may be held before it is adopted, sold or euthanized. This window is usually between three and 10 days, but is often shorter. About half of shelter pets never again see the light of day or know the feeling of grass beneath their paws.
Perhaps this holiday season we might be grateful for the homes we have instead of pining for castles we don’t need — and can’t afford.
Maybe we could afford room in our homes and hearts for a sheltered life.