Some shelter dogs have to wait a long time to find their final home. It can be heartbreaking for them, to see all the other animals come home to their family as they are rejected again and again.
So imagine being the very last animal left in the shelter. It was the case of a dog, who found himself all alone and almost lost all hope…until he finally had a happy ending.
Capone, a Staffordshire terrier mix, spent years waiting at the Ionia County Animal Shelter in Michigan.
„We didn’t think it would take this long to find someone who would open their heart to her,“ said shelter volunteer Sammie Vincent.
Mister chunky monkey, Capone keeps me company on my first day on the job as animal control officer <3 He was adopted at one point, but it didn't work out: the family sent him back to the shelter after a year, which broke the poor dog's morale.
„He lost quite a bit of weight because he just didn’t have the appetite he had at home,“ said shelter manager Carly Quinn. “It was very difficult to get him to eat. We had to coax him daily with treats and assorted wet food.”
„He was heartbroken.“
Capone’s luck didn’t improve much after returning to the shelter. People let him pass, others showed interest but never showed up. What’s even more heartbreaking is that Capone was the only animal that didn’t have a home.
„All the kennels were empty except for Capone’s, sweet and quiet and kind,“ Carly recalled.
Come to work this morning and see all the empty dog cages. And then there’s poor Capone, whining for attention. It breaks my heart. They posted the dog’s sad story on Facebook, hoping someone would open their heart and adopt him. Surprisingly, the post was seen by the right people.
A woman named Ashlee Long and her husband John saw Capone and immediately fell in love: „I fell in love with his face in that moment,“ Ashlee said. „I didn’t know how he was the only remaining dog.“
They visited the shelter, and immediately hit it off — it’s clear Capone was ready to go home after all this time: „He just came our way,“ Ashlee said. „He walked up to us and started snuggling up, wagging his tail, we knew we had to take him.“
They brought Capone home, and the dog gave a big warm smile, knowing he finally had his forever family:
Capone’s friends at the shelter knew this had to happen, and cried tears of joy when they saw their last dog finally leave the shelter.
„It was truly an unforgettable moment,“ Carly said.
How beautiful it is ! It took a long time, but we know Capone will ultimately be happy in his new forever home. Never lose hope!
