Senior dog in NC shelter for 300 days ‘lost his zest for life.’ Then came good news
A senior dog waiting 300 days in a shelter “lost his zest for life” — then came good news.
The once-vibrant hound was finally adopted, marking an end to his yearlong stay at the Watauga Humane Society in North Carolina.
“Three Doors Down has officially walked out our doors for the very last time,” the animal shelter wrote May 28 on Instagram as it shared a video of the 8-year-old pup starting his next chapter.
Three Doors Down bears the same name as a famous rock band, but he didn’t have as much luck with getting noticed. His journey at the shelter started a year ago, when animal control picked him up in rough shape along with three other hounds, the animal organization wrote on social media and told McClatchy News in an email.
Three Doors Down was found with a contagious skin condition and had to be kept away from other dogs during treatment.
“As 3 Doors Down continues to recover, we make sure to give him plenty of gloves-covered attention and love,” the shelter wrote on Facebook in May 2023.
All the other hounds got adopted, but Three Doors Down remained in need of his first-ever home. The shelter believed the “gentle soul” had spent much of his life outside and hoped someone would give him the chance to experience the joys of the indoors.
“Every dog deserves that feeling of being cared for, to be loved unconditionally, and we are certain he has never experienced that,” the humane society wrote May 28 on Facebook.
Three Doors Down was known as an energetic dog early on, but his demeanor started to change in recent weeks. The shelter said its workers were heartbroken as they noticed him retreating to the back of his kennel.
“When he first came to the shelter, he was vibrant, loud, always eager to greet you, tail wagging, (excited) to see what you had in store for him,” the shelter wrote. “He has since lost his zest for life.”
Then the same day that the humane society posted its emotional plea, dozens of social media users re-shared the pup’s story. Within hours, a woman who had adopted one of the other hounds rushed over to the shelter pick up Three Doors Down.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to all who shared, sent love, and offered words of encouragement,” the shelter wrote as it posted the heartwarming update that its longtime resident had been adopted. “There aren’t many things that can bring an entire community together this way but an animal in need surely can.”
Several social media users chimed in to congratulate Three Doors Down on getting a new owner after 368 days.
“It was a tear jerker to say the least,” the shelter wrote.
The humane society is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem.
This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Senior dog in NC shelter for 300 days ‘lost his zest for life.’ Then came good news."
