Throughout his 9 years on this earth, Gumby, a sassy hound dog from South Carolina, has been adopted out 7 times, voluntarily surrendered 8 times, and picked up as a stray 3 times.
And that’s just the beginning of his story!
Gumby made his first of many appearances at the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) in September 2014. He was brought in as a stray, but appeared well-fed and quite healthy, leading staff to suspect he had run away or been abandoned.
The handsome hound was adopted out to seven different families, but each time, he inevitably returned to CAS – sometimes picked up by animal control or a good Samaritan, other times delivered by his frustrated and heartbroken owners.
Despite their best efforts, nobody could tame the free-spirited pooch or foil his Houdini-like escapes.
After his seventh return to the shelter, Gumby’s friends at CAS realized he simply wasn’t interested in living the life of a typical family pet. At the shelter he received constant attention from volunteers and staff as well as plenty of playtime with other pups.
Gumby didn’t need a new home – he had already found one!
Gumby enjoyed the royal treatment, but he wasn’t looking for a free ride. Instead, he became an ambassador of sorts, leading the pack during play groups and working one-on-one with the more timid pups. His calm, tolerant personality made him a natural for socializing fearful dogs.
He even donated blood periodically to be used in a serum for kittens with eye problems.
As you can see, the honorary employee scored plenty of perks in exchange for his service!
It was during this happy time that Gumby formed a powerful bond with fellow CAS employee, John Martin. The two met when John was an adoption counselor, but really got to know one another when he moved to a position with the behavior team.
Eventually, John and his soon-to-be wife, Joanna began fostering Gumby a few nights each week.
“John and I knew that dogs were in our future from the moment we started dating back in 2013,” Joanna told iHeartDogs, “but we knew that we wanted to hold out for a dog who really needed us.”
Despite their mutual love for Gumby, the couple had no intention of adopting him. After all, he was happy living at CAS. But when they decided to return to New York City in 2016, John had second thoughts about leaving his buddy behind.
“It wasn’t until my last day working at CAS that I realized I would miss him too much and we couldn’t leave him,” John said. “I called Joanna and she completely agreed that Gumby belonged with us and needed to be a part of our family.”
Just like that, Gumby became a city hound! After a lifetime in South Carolina, adjusting to the changing seasons was a bit of a challenge. Luckily, his adoring parents purchased him a full wardrobe, including pj’s, sweaters, a winter coat and booties.
John and Joanna tied the knot on October 7, 2017. Although Gumby did not attend the event, he was with them in spirit – and in John’s cufflinks!
Gumby has been living the good life as the only-pooch of John and Joanna for nearly two years. In that time, he has never made a single escape attempt!
He walks at least four miles a day and looks forward to doggy daycare when his beloved mom and dad have to work.
“Gumby LOVES butt and ear scratches, his Kong, Greenies, curling up on the couch with us to watch TV, and sleeping in bed with us at night,” Joanna told iHeartDogs. “He takes up most of the Queen sized bed, but we don’t mind at all…he deserves to sleep comfortably after all he’s been through!”
As a career animal advocate, John strives to ensure that every dog finds the perfect home – even “difficult” pups like Gumby. He offered the following advice for potential adopters:
“Express your concerns to the shelter staff! They can often provide invaluable insight and rescources you may not have known were available before and after the adoption process. Fostering is also an amazing way to get to know an animal in your home without making a long-term commitment, and shelters can sometimes grant foster families priority adoptions of their foster animals. It’s also a great way to learn your capabilities as a potential pet parent.”
Want more Gumby? Follow him on Instagram!
A huge Thank You to John Martin & Joanna Ferrell for their help with this post and for taking a chance on a crazy pooch like Gumby!
