Heartwarming News & Entertainment
Shelter Dog Spent Entire Life Behind Bars. Now He’s Getting 2nd Chance Thanks to Caring Strangers
Gabrielle LaFrank
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When I first scrolled by Robert in a video online, I saw a happy, energetic young dog with the cutest nub tail and folded-over ears. I never would have guessed that he’s been in the shelter system for practically his entire life or that he’s a completely different dog than he was just a few weeks ago.
But it’s true! Thanks to the folks at Butte Humane Society (Chico, CA) and their dog training partners, Robert is learning how to become the very best dog he can be. His early life hasn’t been easy, but with his resilience and adaptability, there’s no doubt his forever home is just around the corner.
An Unlucky Lot in Life
Robert first arrived at Butte Humane Society with his littermates at only 12 weeks old. They were transferred to the Chico shelter from another local shelter that was overcrowded and in need of help, and it was quickly discovered that the entire litter was sick with paro. Canine parvovirus can be deadly, especially for young puppies, but after several weeks of treatment, the entire litter miraculously survived! One by one, all of Robert’s sisters were adopted. But not him.
Unfortunately, his medical obstacles weren’t completely behind him: Robert was also treated for gastrointestinal problems and hematomas in both ears. Fortunately, both issues were temporary, but he spent many of his formative months locked in a kennel instead of socializing and training. This was necessary for his healing, but it resulted in several behavior concerns that made him more difficult to adopt.
Despite being only 1 year old (he celebrated his birthday in November), this playful young dog has lived his entire life in shelters. Sadly, the odds are stacked against him.
As shelter representative Bella Carcamo explained, “Pit Bull mixes spend 3x longer in the shelter and black dogs spend 4x longer to get adopted, Robert happens to be both.” Fortunately, they knew of a group who could help.
Healing Robert With Training, Love, and Care
Butte Humane Society partners with Ridgeside K9 NorCal, a local dog training organization, to provide qualifying shelter dogs with 3-4 weeks of boarding and training to help them adjust to living in a home. The Training, Love, and Care program has changed the lives of several dogs from this shelter, and they are not surprised to see the same kind of transformation with Robert.
Ridgeside K9 NorCal has been sharing uplifting reports on Robert’s progress on their Facebook page, though no one has yet to come forward with interest in adopting him. Both his shelter friends and training friends agree that finding him a forever home before the end of his boarding period would be best so he would never return to the shelter again. The selfless folks at Butte Humane Society will be there for him no matter what, but everyone is rooting for Robert’s perfect person to find him soon.
Source: Facebook
Anyone who would like to know more about Robert–or make an appointment to meet him–can submit an adoption application and call the Adoption Center at (530) 343-7917 x101 or x102.
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