After a wait of 132 days, a blind greyhound who captured hearts online has finally found his forever home.
Percy Shades, a three-year-old greyhound, has gone from abandoned to adopted in a story straight out of a storybook, after he initially struggled to find the right family.
Percy had been under the care of Greyhound Adoption Program Victoria (GAP Vic), where staff described said he was “looking for a special human to guide him through the world.”
“We are really struggling to find Percy Shades a home—it seems very few people are willing to open their hearts and homes to an almost blind dog,” GAP Victoria said in a now viral post on Instagram.
In a heartbreaking video, Percy was behind shelter bars, with a note on his cage that read: “Blind – Please go slow and take extra care with me.”
The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) in Victoria Australia was founded in 1996 by two veterinary nurses and is now the largest greyhound rehoming agency in Australia.
Percy’s video gained over 3 million views on Instagram since being posted last month, and prompted lots of response from animal lovers.
“This makes me so sad. Poor sweet Percy. Gorgeous boy,” said one commenter.
While another wrote: “Oh my heart! We have an 8yo dog who we adopted as a blind puppy and has a heart of gold. It’s not as scary as it seems!”
In the first half of 2024, 3.12 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, a decrease from the same period in 2023. Despite this, the number of animals in shelters remains high—in the first half of 2024, 322,000 more pets entered shelters than exited them.
But for Percy, his happily ever after was just around the corner. Amazingly, just a day later the GAP shelter shared a fantastic update—Percy had finally found a forever home.
A picture of the viral video that explained how long Percy had been waiting for a home.
@gap_vic/Instagram
“We have the best news ever!” they wrote. “Gorgeous Percy who featured here yesterday has headed off with his new family today.”
The post revealed that after 132 days in the shelter’s care, Percy was off to live with his new family, and new brother, greyhound Loumi, who can help him settle in.
This isn’t the first time a greyhound rescue has melted hearts. Last year a rescue Juniper delighted viewers online when the retired racer settled into her rescue home.
“She slept in concrete cages,” the new owner told Newsweek. “She used to flinch when humans came near her.”
After a year in her new home, she started to understand playtime, and now loves to play fetch and is living her best life—often found relaxing on the couch.
Newsweek reached out to @gap_vic via email for comment.
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