Dog spends nearly two years waiting for a family and his adoption day brings happy tears to all
After nearly two years waiting in a shelter, a dog finally got the moment he'd been dreaming of—he was adopted, and his reaction said it all. Yankee wasn’t just another dog at the Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Resource Center—he was the heart of the place. But even though he was a happy and friendly dog, people showed no interest in adopting him given his age and size.
Yankee came to the shelter as a stray dog. After a year had gone by, his old family finally found him after they'd lost him in another county. They took him back, but soon realized that they couldn’t keep him as they now lived a much busier life. Sadly, Yankee was brought back to the shelter. As reported by Newsweek, surprisingly, he didn't lose heart and remained as cheerful as ever. The staff and volunteers had grown to be his family. Despite their efforts, the dog didn’t find a permanent home. Shelter director, Rachel Horton, said, "I think he is just a big, derpy dog and strong that it intimidated people."
Yankee's big day finally came when a friend of a volunteer decided to adopt him. To make his day more special, the shelter employees gave him a special goodbye, cheering for him as he walked out. Horton said, "We were all together so we could do that walk out...so many wanted to say goodbye and wish him well." Yankee, now settled into his new home, is living his best life. Horton revealed, "He's been relaxing, snuggling, and climbing on the furniture. He's making himself right at home."
As the video made the rounds on social media, netizens were thrilled at Yankee’s adoption. On Facebook, a person Pat Wahl, commented, “Congratulations Yankee! Adopters, PLEASE give him time to decompress and have patience with him. Such a long life in a shelter is really hard on a dog's mind. He will be a great dog; he just will need a little patience at first. You will LOVE him.” Another person, Karen Hoffman, wrote, “Love seeing these send-offs brings happy tears to my eyes every single time. Thank you for not giving up on Yankee and waiting until he found his perfect home. What wonderful staff you must be. Happy new life to Yankee and his new family!!!!”
Chiming in, PetTopia, remarked, “He finally found his perfect family, and we couldn’t be happier for him. Wishing you all the belly rubs, treats, and adventures, Yankee! You’ve earned every bit of happiness.” Normally, just five or six people are around to say goodbye, but for Yankee’s adoption, the shelter had around 20 to 30 people show up to see him off. Horton admitted it’s always a little nerve-wracking to send a dog off, but said her concerns faded once she heard how well Yankee was doing in his new forever home.