All Of Shelter Dog’s Friends Have Been Adopted, But People Keep Passing Him Up
Many shelter dogs have trouble finding homes, but Bear seems to be having particularly bad luck.
The bear was found as a stray in Flint, Michigan, and was sent to the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) about three years ago. “He was about 7 months old and very emaciated,” DAWG Director Kelly Labonte told The Dodo. “He was in foster care for a while, but his foster family moved him in and they couldn’t keep him.”
Bear was placed in a kennel at the DAWG shelter, but officials didn’t expect him to stay long — they wanted him adopted out right away.
“The bear is a natural with people,” Labonte said. “He has a thing for kids, men and women.” He is very energetic and loves cuddles and belly stroking. “He understands the principles.”
However, this gentle-natured dog has one drawback: it does not get along with other animals. “Our goal is to find him a home without other dogs, but it’s difficult,” Labonte continued. “We’ve taken him to hundreds of adoption events over the years, and he’s always been ignored.”
Bear is often overlooked, but what makes his story so terrible is how close he came to finding a home – only to be rejected at the last minute.
“We had a lady who drove an hour and a half to meet him and she said, ‘I feel like he would be a great dog for our family,’” LaBonte explained. “It was also a beautiful home for him because it was in the countryside, with a fenced yard and a family with kids.”
However, when DAWG staff escorted Bear to the family home for an official meet-and-greet, things did not go as planned. “Young people have come to the conclusion that it’s not for them,” LaBonte added. “They were looking for a different dog.” Bear, according to Labonte, became very depressed. “He didn’t want to get back in the car and go back to his place,” she said.
DAWG volunteers, on the other hand, won’t give up on Bear. They led him, along with several other animals, to a shelter emptying event organized by the Bissell Pet Foundation of Michigan in April.With the exception of Bear, every DAWG animal at the event was adopted. “I took a picture of him when he came back to the shelter,” LaBonte added. “It went viral because it was a sad shot.” He was certain never to return to the kennel. I say: “I’ll take it.”
Bear has been at the DAWG shelter for about two and a half years. “He’s depressed in the kennel, like most dogs,” the owner says.Despite Bear’s failures, Labonte hopes to find a home.