An adorable mixed-breed dog who has spent the last 4 years of his life in various Toronto animal shelters has found a new forever home on Vancouver Island.
A happy ending has come for 5-year-old Odie, an Akita-Boxer mix who held the title of longest-running resident of the Toronto Humane Society.
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Previously, Odie had two brief adoptions, but neither of his stays lasted long.
Despite being an energetic and sweet boy, Odie’s first adopter simply wasn’t prepared to look after a dog, according to the Toronto Humane Society, and he was returned within a matter of days.
In the second instance, Odie’s new owner found that the Akita-Boxer had mild separation anxiety, and the adopter was unable to give the dog the extra attention he required.
After Odie’s second return, the society says interest for the dog declined, despite the shelter’s many social media campaigns to get him adopted.
One reason for the lack of interest comes from Odie’s growing trepidation around new people.
“He was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful dog it just took a little longer for him to make friends when people went by his space,” Makyla Beleo, Public Relations Specialist of the Toronto Humane Society told Victoria Buzz.
“When [adopters] walk past rows of dogs that are excited and have their tails wagging a dog that is a little shier can be less attractive to adopt,” she said.
While Odie was slow to trust, the humane society said he was energetic and sweet to his close human and dog friends.
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Years after his second temporary adoption, a former shelter employee moved to Vancouver Island, but never forgot about Odie.
Knowing that sweet dog came out of his shell once he felt comfortable, the former shelter employee decided to adopt him themselves.
The humane society said that former staff member’s new home on the island was a better fit for taking on a dog than the large metropolis of Toronto.
Odie’s new family then flew to Toronto to pick him up and drive him across the country back to Vancouver Island, snapping pictures of the Great White North along the way.
“It’s important for people to remember that animals that they see in the shelter may not always be presenting themselves in the way that they would in a loving home,” Beleo added.
“And don’t forget that there is a joy in showing an animal – that might be shy or stressed in the shelter – a warm and loving home and to allow that animal to become the best that they can be. It’s a really great experience.”
Odie has certainly found a new loving home with his owners on the island.
