Longest shelter resident falls asleep smiling when he finally finds a family

Poor Petey was stuck in that shelter for more than a year.

No matter what’s going on around him, Petey pretty much always has a smile on his face.

Despite the obstacles he’s had to deal with, there isn’t anything that can keep Petey’s spirit down.

Even when Petey got the boot after his extended stay at a small over capacity shelter, Petey was still having a good time.

The shelter staff didn’t have any potential adopters lined up for Petey so they reached out to SPCA of Wake County to see if they could help find Petey a home.

With his adorable looking eye-patch, it’s hard to believe that anyone wouldn’t want to take this guy home.

The SPCA was happy to take Petey. And Petey couldn’t wait to get to meet some new people.

“As soon as he got here, he was yanking on the leash trying to get through the door,” SPCA of Wake County Spokesperson Samantha Ranlet said. “He bounded into the building.”

It was hard for them to believe how a doggo as charming as Petey could be passed by.

“He was super friendly from day one and very playful,” Ranlet said. “We couldn’t believe that nobody wanted him.”

The SPCA of Wake County immediately posted a photo of Petey and his adoption status on social media.

They were concerned that he might again be overlooked in favor of smaller dogs like he was before.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Petey found his forever family within just a few weeks.

He was barely there for a month.

Petey’s new family took one look at his sweet face in a picture and fell in love.

Petey immediately got comfortable in his new home.

He has his own cozy bed he loves to sleep in.

He loves hanging around his yard and getting to play fetch with his family. Petey is a very cuddly boy who loves to give kisses.

He even has a doggy brother and made lots of other doggy friends at the dog park.

“He’s the perfect addition. Petey is so loved and is opening up and showing us his beautiful personality. I am so happy to have him,” his new family said.

The SPCA of Wake County says there are a lot of dogs who end up like Petey, stuck at shelters for extended periods of time.

There are an estimated eight to 10 dogs in their care right now who’ve been searching for a home for more than a year.

“We’re rooting for them to find their people,” Ranlet said. “That’s what they deserve.”

Dogs that typically spend more time in a shelter are black dogs like Labrador Retrievers, Shepherds, and Rottweilers.

This is because of the negative stigma caused by the media’s portrayal of black dogs.

They can also be perceived to be unfriendly, intimidating, or unphotogenic. Bigger dogs also have a harder time getting adopted as well as senior dogs and pit bull breeds.

Learn more about SPCA Wake’s shelter transfer program in the video below.