A 9-year-old Pit Bull mix named Cano had a rough past. Orange County Animal Services took him in after someone abandoned him outside a veterinary hospital. Adjusting to shelter life wasn’t easy for Cano because he was fearful and distrusting toward other dogs. Yet, his trauma didn’t stop him from falling in love with all the humans who cared for him.
For 200 days, the shelter begged the public to help Cano find a home. But finding a family who wants a senior dog but doesn’t have any other dogs is a lot to ask. Even so, shelter staff believed Cano’s “unicorn” family was out there.
200 Long Days
After 100 days at the shelter, staff started advertising Cano more frequently. He was featured on news stories and even got his own billboard. However, even after a month of his billboard being up, no one showed interest in him. But all Cano wanted was someone to love him forever.
“We hear all the time from people how sad they are when they see how long some of our dogs have been here. Imagine how Cano feels, looking at things from the other side of those bars. For 100 days he has watched other dogs get picked and adopted. For 100 days people have walked past him, without a second look,” Orange County Animal Services wrote.
Volunteers said that despite his age, Cano still has lots of energy left in him. He enjoys going for walks, and he has so much love to give. As long as he could find a home without any other dogs in it, the shelter knew he’d thrive.
Cano Finds His Family!
Finally, after Cano’s 200-day stay at the shelter, he found the family of his dreams! On the day of his adoption, it seemed like he knew what was happening. He could tell that his life was about to be so much better from that moment on. The shelter even shared a heartwarming video on his adoption day.
“We are so incredibly happy to announce that Cano has been adopted by the Rodriguez family. They told us they had seen his billboard many times, and had seen some of the posts. But it was Friday’s news story that really decided it for them. They saw he was a sweet senior dog, eager to be loved,” wrote Orange County Animal Services. “They couldn’t bear the thought of Cano spending another day without a home. So they opened up theirs to him.”
As soon as Cano hopped into his new family’s car, he leaned into them lovingly. He closed his eyes and relaxed the whole way home. It might’ve taken him a long time to find his forever family, but now he’s the happiest dog in the world. Senior dogs can make incredible companions, so more people should consider adopting them.
H/T: people.com
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