There are millions of dogs in shelters all over the country. Many of them are only there for a couple of days or a few weeks before going to their forever homes. Sadly, some are there for much longer.
A dog named Pakita was taken to Argentina’s Arca Animal Refuge by a person who claimed to have found her wandering the streets as a stray.
She was a good dog, and the staff assumed she would be adopted.
Nobody ever took her home, though. She became depressed and withdrawn. There was nothing the staff could do to lift her spirits. Refuge volunteer Silvia Ferreyra said:
“People prefer puppies. So, she stayed with us for two whole years.”
They had no idea that someone was searching for Pakita and that she was loved and missed very much. One day, they got a clear picture of the shy dog and posted it online. They got a call not too long after making the post. Ferreyra said:
“Immediately, we received a message from a woman saying that the dog was her son’s and that they had been looking for her.”
The woman’s son, Ariel Naveira, had been searching for his dog for years.
They couldn’t believe she was in a shelter the entire time. They both headed to the rescue to claim Pakita. The rescue staff brought out the dog, and she was shy and reserved at first, Then, she saw Naveira and instantly perked up and walked over to him. She became a different dog. Ferreyra said:
“From that point, there was no doubt.”
Naveira couldn’t believe that he had actually found her. He was thrilled that she remembered him, and he hoped she would forgive him for not finding her sooner. He added:
“It was beautiful. I was sad to have lost her, but recovering her was spectacular; there are no words to describe it.”
Pakita isn’t the only dog to spend such a long time in a shelter.
A dog named Clefford was born with a cleft pallet. As a result, he went months without being adopted. He may have looked a little different, but he was a sweetheart.
The shelter staff fell in love with him, and they wished he could find a home where he could be loved. But the months went by, and nobody wanted Clefford. Then, one of the staff members decided he was meant to have the dog.
Will Stoltenberg adopted Clefford and took him home, where Clefford would live forever.
He said:
“As I would go around checking on the dogs, I always found myself coming back to his kennel to give him scratches and tell him what a good boy he was. He has an infectious smile and always seemed happy to see me when I came by. In the end, I just had to adopt him. I wanted to give him the life he deserved and months in a kennel was certainly not it.”
Clefford adapted well to his new home, and he and Stoltenberg get along great.
It’s like it was always meant to be. His cleft pallet makes him different in some ways, but in many others, he is just like any other dog. Stoltenberg said:
“All the noises he makes are different from regular dogs because of his cleft palate, but other than that he acts like just your average dog now. Thankfully, Clefford has no idea that he is any different. In my eyes, his story and unique face just make him a better pup!”
These pups may have spent too much time in the shelter.
Still, their loving hearts and sweet personalities were enough to make it easy for them to transition into their new lives with their owners. One went home with a previous owner, and the other found a new owner. Both of their stories have happy endings.
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