Dog was overlooked at Florida shelter — but new owner was ‘ready for the challenge’
A “sweet” dog kept being overlooked at a Florida animal shelter — but his new owners couldn’t wait to take him home.
“What others did not want, Axel and Rachel Marie loved,” the Humane Society of Tampa Bay wrote Feb. 21 in a Facebook post. “They came in with the sole purpose of adopting Nick and giving him the home he deserves.”
The 3-year-old dog couldn’t help but celebrate as he kicked off his next chapter.
“Nick showed his personality with kisses for all, snuggles and even playful nibbles of affection, just a happy dog ready to start his forever,” the shelter wrote.
The shelter believes potential adopters didn’t want Nick because he was heartworm positive. The “sweet” dog also had cherry eye — a red bump that can cause eye problems — and dental grade three, sometimes characterized by missing teeth, swollen gums and lots of tartar in the mouth, according to the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Axel has experience with heartworm-positive dogs so he was ready for the challenge,” the shelter wrote.
Facebook users couldn’t get enough of the touching adoption post, which gained more than 400 reactions within two days of being shared online. Several said they were grateful for Nick to get his second chance.
This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Dog was overlooked at Florida shelter — but new owner was ‘ready for the challenge’."
