Many dogs wait for a long time in shelters to be adopted. This is the sad situation that shelter staff have to face every day. In fact, they are quite disappointed because they know that most of these dogs are kind and friendly. All they need are humans who would love them for who they are and give them what they need.
Dogs Forever, a non-profit animal rescue group in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has its own long-term shelter resident. He is a sweet dog named Leo who was rescued from a city-run shelter and was at risk of being euthanized.
The rescue organization believed that he merited a second shot at life. They remained optimistic that he will find a family one day despite having been in their facility for over 900 days.
Dogs Forever did everything possible to get Leo the attention he needed to get adopted. They routinely shared images and videos of the dog on their social media profiles and even requested that their fans share the content.
The shelter staff acknowledged that Leo can be challenging at times. He is highly active and demands frequent physical activity.
The dog has issues with other animals as well. He can become hostile at times, which means that he cannot be in a house with young children.
Because of the many conditions in place which were necessary to adopt Leo, most adopters tried to avoid the dog. His extended stay at the shelter made the issue even worse. He was constantly confined and needed someone who will give him what he needs on a daily basis.
David Evens, a native of Iowa, was the reason that Leo was able to start his new life. It all began when David was looking for a pet that would serve as his companion. The middle-aged man had recently ended his relationship with his long-term partner and was quite lonely. He fell in love with the unwanted dog after seeing a photograph of him.
David visited the shelter, where he was informed of the several conditions for adopting the dog. This included a one-month training period with the dog.
David did not object, and he prolonged the training period to three months. After that, the two became inseparable.
Leo waited for the right person for a very long time, and he is now home.
Source: Dogs Forever
