It’s tough for a dog residing in a crowded shelter. They often only have a few seconds, from behind a kennel door no less, to make an impression on potential adopters.
Speck, a Collie mix, didn’t give up hope as he waited months and months at the Bullock County Humane Society in Alabama for someone to adopt him. He reached out to everyone and anyone that passed by, literally.
Holding Out A Hopeful Paw
Reaching through the gaps in his kennel door to connect with people was a regular habit of Speck’s. He really just wanted someone to hold hands with.
Desiray Miracle-Wilder, shelter director at BCHS, told The Dodo:
“All he wants is people love. He will reach his little hand out and he just wants you to touch him and hold his hand. And he’s so sad when you walk off to finish cleaning or whatever you have to do.”
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Unfortunately, most people looking at shelter dogs don’t get a chance to fully interact with the dog, only viewing them through a door upon their first visit. Obviously, a touchy-feely dog like Speck was capable of making someone fall in love in an instant though.
“He just wants you to touch him. If you sit down, he’s laying on you, if you hold his hand, he’ll hold your hand, if you scratch his belly, he’ll roll over,” Wilder added.
This sweet boy found a way to show how loving he is even from behind a metal door. Holding hands (/paws) is certainly an adorable way to win a potential adopter’s heart.
An Effective Approach For Speck
The paws-on method really paid off for Speck in the end. It took a bit, but reaching out for love did land this worthy pup a forever family.
A much wider audience got to see Speck’s love of hand-holding when Wilder shared a video of the dog to Facebook. The sight of Speck’s bright eyes, wagging tail, and grasping paw melted the internet’s heart.
In April of 2020, a year and a half since Speck first arrived at the shelter, Bullock County Humane Society posted an update to Facebook revealing that Speck had been adopted.
“Speck has completed his freedom ride to upstate NY to meet his human parents Mike and Danielle! He now has parents that will hold his furry little paws and give him lots of love. Our hearts could not be any more full than they are right now. Specks video and journey did not only end with his finding a FurEver home but 8 other FurBabies found homes because of him.”
Now he has a few less hands to hold every day, but Speck likes it just fine that way. He’s happy to grab ahold of his humans in the comfort of his new home.
If you’re ready to adopt, give a shelter dog like Speck a chance. You never know what they’re really like until you get to know them outside of the kennels.
Featured Image: Facebook
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