A dog has suffered the unimaginable heartbreak of being adopted and returned to the shelter five times.
From the moment Dexter first arrived at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh, New York, it was clear he was desperate to find a forever home to call his own.
“Dexter originally came to the shelter after he was found dumped at Jones Beach,” Brian Devine, from the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, told Newsweek. “He was found by a good Samaritan and he jumped right in their car when they opened the door.”
Dexter’s life prior to that remains a mystery, though Devine thinks it is “safe to say that he was not in a great situation, as he was abandoned on a beach in February”, one of the coldest months of the year.
Dexter has been adopted and returned to the shelter 5 times.
TikTok/adopt_melia_and_friends
Despite this abandonment, Dexter has had no shortage of interest from visitors keen to adopt him. However, it has led to further heart break, with Dexter adopted and returned on no fewer than five occasions.
“Dexter has some behavioral challenges such as barrier reactivity, guarding and sometimes stranger reactivity,” Devine said.
The shelter has made efforts to find Dexter the perfect home and always takes the time to explain his personality and behavioral traits at length to those eager to adopt. It’s still not enough though.
Devine said: “It just seems that his behavior challenges are only really seen once he is comfortable in a home so they don’t show here at the shelter and adopters, even though they are fully informed ahead of time, can’t really grasp his issues since they can’t witness it for themselves until he is in the home.”
Dexter has now spent over 1,170 days at the shelter. Though staff do their utmost to keep his spirits up, his situation is bound to have had an impact. Research has previously highlighted the detrimental effect a long term stay in a shelter can have on a dog.
A 2021 study published in the journal Animals explored the characteristics of long-term shelter dogs. It concluded that while their physical wellbeing was not impaired by the length of their stay, they did exhibit some stress-related behaviour that suggested they have difficulties relaxing in a shelter environment.
Dexter certainly struggles with some aspects of shelter life, but Devine believes he is far from having given up hope. “Dexter does have the typical stressors of a dog that is confined, he can be reactive towards people when in his cage that he doesn’t know,” he said. “But overall when he is out with his buddies, he’s as happy as can be.”
Dexter’s cause has now been taken up by @adopt_melia_and_friends, a TikTok account that shines a light on some of the canine residents at Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter who are in need of help. A clip of his situation was shared at the end of May, and has already amassed more than 10,000 views.
At present, Dexter’s only chance of freedom is if he gets picked up by a rescue group. “Without one, he’ll remain here indefinitely,” a blurb posted alongside a video of Dexter explains. “Dexter deserves more than a kennel—he deserves a chance.”
Devine is keen to stress that anyone taking on Dexter understands he has “insecurities” that require patience and continued training.
“He needs a home that has dedicated adopters who would be very patient and willing to work with a trainer one on one to acclimate him to his new home and work through his behaviors,” Devine said. “He would do best with adults only and someone who is home or has a lot of time to dedicate to him and his future.”
Dexter hasn’t given up hope of finding that forever home and the staff at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter haven’t either. They just need someone else to believe in him now.
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