A Struggling Puppy

Drogo’s story is a poignant reminder of the trials and tribulations faced by many shelter animals. Imagine the immense sadness Drogo must have felt when he returned from his 500-day stay in the orphanage, only a week after being adopted.

For many rescue dogs, the days of patiently waiting for the warmth of a loving home can become years. While some dogs find their forever homes relatively quickly, others, like Drogo, must endure long periods of uncertainty in hopes of having a chance at a better future.

Life within the four walls of a children’s room is certainly better than life on the street. But the monotony of staring at the same four walls for more than two years is sure to take a toll on the health of any gentle furry creature.

A Disheartening Return

An American Pitbull Terrier named Drogo arrived at the Austin Animal Centre after his owner was evicted. The owner was supposed to come back to pick him up, but he never did, so the poor dog started looking for his forever home.

Days, weeks, and months passed, but no one was found to adopt him. The rest of the dogs came to the shelter and left quickly, but Drogo didn’t, he always stayed there.

Drogo quickly became the shelter’s longest-serving resident, and while all the volunteers and staff loved him dearly, all they wanted was to find him a good home.

A Heartfelt Adoption

Then, one day, it finally happened… this beautiful boy who waited so long at the shelter was finally adopted. However, it appeared that it wasn’t meant to be because only a week later, he was sadly returned to the shelter. Drogo was heartbroken as well as everyone at the Austin Animal Centre.

“We are all crushed that Drogo was returned to the shelter so quickly. He was one of the longest stay dogs at the shelter, and now he’s back again. He’s devastated. It’s not fair,” one of the shelter workers wrote on TikTok.

A Second Chance at Happiness

Thankfully, the shelter did not give up on him, and they worked even harder in finding Drogo a forever home. The videos that the shelter posted got thousands of views, and several magazines around the country wrote an article about him, but still, no one came to adopt Drogo.

Drogo then celebrated his 4th birthday, and also his 550th day at the shelter. A volunteer decided to throw him a birthday party. They all had one wish for him – to finally get adopted, but this time, truly forever.

“It must have been a good luck charm because Drogo was ADOPTED today after 500+ days in the shelter,” the shelter wrote in their Facebook post.

Drogo, you sweet boy… you didn’t deserve to wait that long, and you certainly didn’t deserve all the heartbreak. But, you now have (hopefully) a forever home and a person who will be able to mend your broken heart. Enjoy the rest of your life!