A shy dog that feels “incredibly uncomfortable” around new people has finally been adopted from his shelter in Oregon.
After spending more than two years at the SafeHaven Humane Society in Tangent, Oregon, Waylon, a 6-year-old Australian cattle dog mix, has finally found his forever home. Waylon, the shelter’s longest-term resident, had a challenging journey due to his shy nature and discomfort in new situations.
Waylon arrived at SafeHaven Humane Society in June 2022 and transferred from a local animal control agency. Carly Peterson, a development coordinator and gift processor at the animal shelter, told Newsweek: “Upon his arrival, we knew he would need a special adopter who would help him thrive.”
The shelter posted a video on Facebook of Waylon being picked up by his new owner. A caption shared with the post, which has had 61,000 views since June 7, reads: “Today was a GREAT day! Waylon, our longest term resident who was with us for 2 years and 5 days went to his forever home.”
Waylon, a six-year-old Australian cattle dog mix. He was finally adopted after living over two years at the SafeHaven Humane Society animal shelter in Oregon.
SafeHaven Humane Society
Waylon’s adoption story comes as approximately 3.2 million dogs were reported to have entered a shelter in 2023, with around 2.2 million adopted that year, according to Shelter Animals Count, the national database founded by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States and other groups.
According to the database, 109,000 more dogs were adopted last year than in 2022. However, the total number of canines adopted in 2023 is still nearly 108,000 fewer (5 percent less) than in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a surge in pet adoptions worldwide, according to a May 2021 study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Despite the adoption efforts, about 360,000 dogs were found to have been euthanized in 2023, accounting for around half (52 percent) of the 690,000 total number of animals euthanized in the same year, according to the data from Shelter Animals Count.
‘Very Shy’ and ‘Incredibly Uncomfortable’
Describing Waylon’s attributes, Peterson said: “Waylon is highly intelligent, athletic, eager to please, and even more eager to learn, but he is very shy and new people/situations make him incredibly uncomfortable.”
Initially, Waylon struggled with the shelter environment, often hiding and attempting to flee from other dogs. SafeHaven staff implemented a new routine in the summer of 2023, hosting daily playgroups to help dogs socialize.
Waylon was slowly introduced to other dogs, allowing him to engage at his own pace. “After months of doing this, Waylon found a few dogs he enjoyed, and we saw him play chase for the first time,” Peterson recalled, emphasizing the significance of this milestone for the long-term resident.
Despite making progress with other dogs, Waylon continued to have reservations about new people and situations. To make him more comfortable, the staff housed him in a quieter area and explored various anxiety medications.
“Any animal shelter can be a stressful environment just with how busy and noisy it is every day,” Peterson explained.
SafeHaven Humane Society, a full adoption facility, allows animals like Waylon to stay as long as needed. As Waylon’s two-year anniversary approached, Chloe, a former SafeHaven staff member who had worked extensively with Waylon, decided to adopt him.
On June 7, after more than two years at the shelter, Waylon went home with Chloe.
“Staff and volunteers said goodbye to Waylon and even made him a little goodie bag to take to his new home,” Peterson shared.
Chloe updated the shelter shortly after the adoption, saying, “Waylon is doing amazing in his new home. He has settled down and loves to go on car rides where he always sits shotgun. He loves playing with his stuffies, hasn’t had a potty accident once, and doesn’t make a peep at night.”
The SafeHaven Humane Society, which does approximately 2,000 dog, cat, and small animal adoptions each year, relies on community support and grants to continue its mission.
“We do not receive any government funding and rely on our programs, community, and grants to keep our mission going and to allow animals like Waylon the time they need to find their perfect home,” Peterson said.
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