Sweet Dog Overlooked For Over 1,000 Days In Shelter Finally Gets Adopted
Tessy, a sweet black Lab mix, arrived at a shelter in Delaware hoping to find her forever home. But her journey wasn’t easy.
Despite her playful personality, Tessy was overlooked time and time again due to her reactive behavior, caused by spending too long in a shelter environment.
Days turned into years, and after more than 1,000 days, her special family finally came along.
Cheerful And Full Of Love
Tessy first came to the Humane Animal Partners (HAP) in Delaware after being transferred from Texas.
Source: Humane Animal Partners
At first, she was full of energy, playful, and brought joy to all the volunteers. But over time, the stress of shelter life took its toll, making her fearful and reactive around new people and unfamiliar dogs.
Despite this, Tessy was still adored by the staff. Every morning, she greeted them with a big smile and an even bigger wiggle, instantly melting their hearts.
Source: Humane Animal Partners
But whenever potential adopters visited, her nervousness pushed them away, and time after time, her chance at a home slipped through her paws.
Helping Tessy Overcome Her Fears
The staff at HAP, led by director Leigh McKinley, were determined to help Tessy overcome her fear-reactive behavior.
Source: Humane Animal Partners
They created a safe space for her with a soundproof kennel and custom curtains to lower her stress levels. Through daily positive reinforcement training and frequent walks, Tessy slowly began to enjoy outings to the beach and parks.
Her progress was significant, and the team never gave up on finding her the right family.
The Perfect Match
After many failed adoption attempts, Jeanine Walker-Porter and Jeff Bush visited Tessy. They knew she would need time, so they visited her several times to build trust.
Source: People
By their final visit, Tessy was showing all the signs that she had found her perfect match. She was smitten with Jeanine and Jeff, and the feeling was mutual.
The staff at HAP gave Tessy an emotional send-off as she left the shelter for her new forever home.
The shelter that had been her home for over 1,000 days was finally able to say goodbye, and everyone was thrilled to see her find the loving family she deserved.
Source: Cape Gazette
Jeanine and Jeff later shared the best news with the shelter: Tessy had adjusted wonderfully to her new home. She loved being by their side and had fully embraced her new life.
“She is always with us, sitting between the two of us. We love her and are so happy she is ours,” Jeanine shared.
Tessy, once fearful and insecure, now enjoys each day as a new adventure, finally living the life she always deserved!
