Ginger, a Labrador Retriever mix, has lived at Dogwood Animal Shelter in Missouri for 7 years. 7 years!!! The poor girl came to the shelter from an abusive situation, which obviously impacted her behavior. Not to mention, living in a shelter for a long period of time can have its own negative consequences. All the odds were stacked against poor Ginger, through no fault of her own.
The good people working at the shelter refused to give up on this dog. They knew she just needed a certain type of home. On Facebook, Dogwood Animal Shelter explained Ginger’s situation, which isn’t all too uncommon unfortunately.
“Long term residency for animals in a true no-kill shelter is a problem not unique to Dogwood Animal Shelter. Like most rescue dogs, Ginger came in to Dogwood with her own set of medical, emotional and behavioral issues which made her unadoptable for a long time. Dogwood’s staff and volunteers have diligently worked to address those issues and to locate a suitable home for her. She is and has been adoptable.”
Ginger needed a forever home with no other animals or small children, which limited her opportunities. There’s no reason it should have doomed her to spending most of her life inside a kennel though. Fortunately, some good people recognized that and did something about it.
Getting Ginger The Attention She Deserves
Scott Poore, the owner of clothing brand Mission Driven, frequently uses his platform to promote shelter animal adoptions. His Instagram post featuring a sad-looking Ginger in her kennel gained traction. Eventually, that image was reposted by Paws Up, Ellen DeGeneres’ animal sharing account.
Thanks to the recent publicity, the elder dog received an outpouring of applications for her adoption. People from Canada to Texas wanted to help get this girl out of a shelter for good.
https://www.facebook.com/dogwoodanimalshelter/videos/498743587474526/
Not One More Day In A Shelter For Ginger
On March 13th, Dogwood Animal Shelter proudly announced that Ginger had been adopted. Finally, she found her perfect human match!
“Ginger has gone home! Her adopter has no children and no pets, has a fenced in yard and experience with dogs with dispositions similar to Ginger’s!”
Ginger, at long last, is now permanently home. No more kennels for this patient gal!
Thankfully, Ginger’s sad story did end happily. Still, it highlights a problem for many shelter dogs who appear unadaptable due to their living situation and anxiety. If you missed your chance to adopt Ginger, consider adopting one of the many other long-term shelter residents near you!
H/T: People
Featured Image: @Mission_Driven_Goods/Instagram
Toledo, United States.
