Shelter dog waited 3 years for a home. Now, the ‘true cuddle queen’ has a fresh start
A cuddly shelter dog waited nearly three years for a home — until a familiar faced stepped in.
The woman, who had been a foster parent to Jelly, said she wanted to keep the dog, leading to a “heartwarming” adoption, according to a North Carolina animal shelter.
“Our directors received a message from Jelly’s foster mom informing us that she was ready to permanently welcome Jelly into her family, declaring that Jelly is her best friend,” the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina wrote Jan. 7 in a Facebook post. “We are immensely grateful to Jelly’s now-permanent mom, who has shown that dedication and love truly make a difference.”
Jelly kicked off her next chapter after she landed at the shelter in February 2022. She was transferred from another facility and became known for her love of lounging and playing with toys, the humane society wrote on social media and in an email to McClatchy News.
“Jelly adores snuggling up on the couch and getting endless pets,” the shelter wrote on Facebook in August. “She’s a true cuddle queen who thrives on affection and loves nothing more than being close to her humans.”
Over time, Jelly became the humane society’s longest resident. At first, the shelter thought she was being overlooked due to testing positive for heartworms. But it learned she also “faced challenges with leash reactivity and interactions with men.”
Jelly, now 3 years old and heartworm-free, had been living in a foster home due to her stress in the shelter environment. She worked with a pet trainer as her foster mom sought ways to help her get comfortable around her family’s other dogs.
“Jelly successfully spent Christmas with her foster family and the dogs, doing wonderfully,” the shelter wrote. “The staff was moved to tears when they saw videos of Jelly happily sitting next to the other dogs, proving to be the best girl and listening attentively to her foster mom.”
Then, on Dec. 26, the foster mom revealed that she was adopting the pup. The shelter shared the long-awaited news online, saying “Jelly’s journey is a testament to the power of patience, training, and unconditional love.”
After reading the emotional update, several Facebook users congratulated Jelly on getting a second chance.
“Hearing that Jelly’s foster was adopting her was the best Christmas present any of us could have asked for,” Morgan May, assistant director of the humane society, told McClatchy News in an email. “I cried many happy tears knowing Jelly and her foster will get to spend forever together.”
The Humane Society of Eastern Carolina is in Greenville, a roughly 85-mile drive east from Raleigh.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Shelter dog waited 3 years for a home. Now, the ‘true cuddle queen’ has a fresh start."
