ARKANSAS, USA — After being severely abused and then spending nearly five hundred days in a shelter, one dog has finally found a forever home.
The journey began with a phone call to Ali Paepke, the life-saving program manager at Best Friends Pet Resource Center, “Ali, there’s this dog at the shelter, it’s been there for over a year, it’s part of a cruelty case."
Paepke said, “When dogs have been locked up for that long they can have issues. And it can be really hard to rehabilitate them, especially if they're in there because of abuse."
But an animal shelter in Central Arkansas assured her this dog, named Neo, was different. Paepke said, “The day I met that dog, I was just blown away."
After four hundred and fifty days in a shelter, Neo, a victim of severe animal abuse, was welcomed to Best Friends Pet Resource Center.
“To meet a dog who had been through all of that who just immediately trusted you and immediately wanted attention from you was just mind-blowing ... “Neo was that one that I was like, Oh my gosh, we're making a difference,” said Paepke.
Neo stayed in a temporary home for a little while, but after a few weeks, his foster mom posted that he was ready to find his forever home.
“It was kind of love at first sight ... he's just a great companion,” said Linda Songbird.
Songbird saw the post and immediately wanted to meet Neo, after one interaction, she was sold. She officially adopted the sweet pup on August 6, giving not only Neo a new outlook on life but Songbird as well.
“It makes your life worthwhile. And he's wonderful. He's there as soon as you come in. He's right at the door. Happy to see you!” said Songbird.
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