Helena hasn’t had the best luck in life so far. She was picked up as a stray while wandering the streets of Atlanta, Georgia last year, and the 4-year-old pup was brought to the local shelter. It wasn’t long before she was adopted and taken into what she thought would be her loving and forever home.
It was in September of 2017 that she was swooped up from the shelter, but little did she know, this would all be coming to an end within just a few short months. Now, she is looking for a new home that will love her for who she is.
After living a life on the streets, the sweet dog was so happy to finally have a home, but just months later, she found herself back in the shelter.
LifeLine Animal Project was shocked to see such a beautiful, happy, and loving dog arrive at their shelter to be surrendered. Helena was so friendly and absolutely loved to give hugs and kisses, and sadly, those were the exact reasons she was there.
“The man who returned her said she was too nice,” Karen Hirsch, PR director for the shelter, told The Dodo. “It was obvious the gentleman was looking for a guard dog. He also suggested she be adopted by a woman ‘because they are more into that petting stuff.’”
Although the shelter is used to animals being surrendered, they had never heard a reason quite like this.
Thankfully, despite the fact that Helena just lost the home that she had been living in since September 2017, she didn’t seem to have any separation anxiety whatsoever. As it turns out, the man that had previously adopted her was expecting more of a “tough” dog since she was a Pit Bull, but she clearly didn’t live up to the stereotype.
Having a pit bull type breed in the shelter, no matter how friendly they are, doesn’t always fair well for the dog. Sadly, the statistics are not in the breed’s favor. The ASPCA approximates that over 1.2 million dogs end up in shelters each year, and if they are a pit bull type breed, their future can be uncertain.
According to Canine Journal, “only 48 percent of the nation’s shelters place these pit bulls up for adoption, another 30 percent of shelters put these dogs up for adoption under special circumstances. Most disappointing, however, is the fact that 22 percent of the nation’s shelters euthanize dogs that are categorized as pit bulls regardless of the individual dog’s disposition.”
Although Helena ended up back in the shelter, she is now in a foster home and looking for a new owner that really loves snuggles, cuddles, and kisses.
“She loves to lay around, be pet, give kisses and eat treats,” Hirsch said. “She is a calm dog who would love Netflix binges.”
In the meantime, while she’s waiting for her perfect new owner, she absolutely loves hanging out with the shelter staff, they too love hanging out with her. How could you not love such an affectionate dog? The shelter thinks that she would make a wonderful office or family dog.
“We want Helena to go to a home where she can be smothered in love,” Hirsch said. “If you are looking for a dog to love who doesn’t require lots of activity, she could be the perfect girl for you.”
If you’re interested in adopting Helena, the shelter is taking both in- and out-of-state applications, although transportation is not provided. Send the shelter an email for more information.
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