Many shelter dogs have difficulty finding homes, but Bear looks to be having particularly bad luck.
Bear was found as a stray in Flint, Michigan, and was sent to the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) around three years ago. “He was roughly 7 months old and pretty emaciated,” DAWG director Kelley LaBonty told The Dodo. “He was in foster care for a while, but his foster family moved in and they couldn’t keep him.”
Bear was placed in a kennel at the DAWG shelter, but officials did not anticipate him to stay long — they wanted him to be adopted right away.
“Bear is a natural with people,” LaBonty said. “He has a thing for children, men, and women.” He’s highly animated and likes cuddling and having his stomach stroked. He grasps the principles.”
Bear was placed in a kennel at the DAWG shelter, but officials did not anticipate him to stay long — they wanted him to be adopted right away.
“Bear is a natural with people,” LaBonty said. “He has a thing for children, men, and women.” He’s highly animated and likes cuddling and having his stomach stroked. He grasps the principles.”
This sweet-natured canine, however, has one flaw: he does not get along with other animals. “Our goal is to find him a home without other dogs,” LaBonty continued, “but that’s tough.” “We’ve taken him to hundreds of adoption events throughout the years, and he’s always been ignored.”
Bear is frequently neglected, but what makes his tale so terrible is how close he has been to finding a home — only to be turned down at the last minute.
“We had one lady who drove an hour and a half to meet him and said, ‘I feel he’d be a fantastic dog for our family,’” LaBonty explained. “It was also a beautiful house for him because it was out in the country, with a fenced yard and a family with children.”
However, when DAWG employees took Bear to the family’s house for an official meet-and-greet, things did not go as planned. “The youngsters came to the conclusion that he wasn’t for them,” LaBonty added. “They were on the lookout for a different dog.” Bear, according to LaBonty, became pretty depressed. She stated, “He didn’t want to get back in the car and go back to his place.”
The DAWG volunteers, on the other hand, would not abandon Bear. They drove him, along with many other animals, to the Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelter event in Michigan in April.
Except for Bear, every animal from DAWG was adopted at the event. “I took a picture of him when he returned to the shelter,” LaBonty added. “It went viral because it was such a sad shot.” He was emphatic about never going back to the kennel. “I’ll take him,” I say.
Bear has been in the DAWG shelter for almost two and a half years. “He’s depressed in the kennel, as are most dogs,” says the owner.
Despite Bear’s failures, LaBonty is hopeful that he will find a home.
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