‘Misunderstood’ shelter dog waited years for a second chance. Now ‘happy tears’ flow
A “misunderstood” shelter dog waited years for a second chance — then came an emotional adoption in South Carolina.
“Duggy found the perfect home for his temperament and personality,” an animal shelter told McClatchy News in a Feb. 10 email. “(His) new dad met Duggy with a calm demeanor and allowed Duggy to make the first moves at his own pace.”
The Spartanburg Humane Society said “happy tears” flowed as Duggy finally was adopted. The 4-year-old pup had spent about half of his life in the shelter after he arrived as a stray in July 2022.
When Duggy first landed at the humane society, he was “very wary of strangers.” But over time, workers noticed he had occasional bursts of energy and a “goofy” side, the shelter wrote in its email and Facebook posts.
“He was misunderstood in the shelter for a long time due to the fact that he doesn’t show a lot of emotion on his face and that he was overall a pretty calm pup,” the animal organization wrote. “With help from a few dedicated staff, we saw Duggy come out of his shell in the almost 3 years he was here.”
One breakthrough came when shelter workers realized the mixed-breed pup was a big fan of treats.
“We started using his love of treats to get him to come out of his shell more and started to see a pretty goofy personality come out,” the shelter wrote. “Normally calm in his kennel, Duggy would come to life when the staff brought around the feeding cart.”
Over time, Duggy also became known for enjoying walks and snuggling in fluffy blankets. Then, after more than two years of waiting, the shelter shared the good news that the dog got a fresh start with a new owner who will let him be himself.
“Surprisingly enough, Duggy opened up to his new dad faster than most of his relationships here at the shelter and that was a great sign to the team here at SHS,” the humane society wrote. “Duggy is now going to a home where he can open up at his own pace, have plenty of opportunities to get the zoomies out and then take well deserved nap breaks.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 8:50 AM with the headline "‘Misunderstood’ shelter dog waited years for a second chance. Now ‘happy tears’ flow."
