Heartbreaking footage has emerged of a dog sitting, waiting patiently in her kennel to be adopted, despite spending over 1,000 days at the shelter.
SPCA Westchester, a no-kill animal rescue center in New York, posted a clip to its TikTok @spcawestchesterdiaries of four-year-old hound mix Cindy Lou in the hope of drumming up some adoption interest. “Cindy Lou has been waiting at the shelter for over 1,000 days,” they wrote alongside the clip. “She’s patiently waiting for her forever family!”
In the clip, Cindy Lou can be seen sitting, looking off into the distance. She looks tired, almost resigned to a life where, despite the amazing efforts of everyone at the rescue, every day ends with her back in the kennel.
Despite this, there’s a sense that she hasn’t given up hope entirely, even after all these years, of finding a forever home to call her own. The sad reality is that no one knows when or if Cindy Lou ever even had one.
Lisa Bonanno-Spence, director of Development at SPCA Westchester, told Newsweek: “SPCA Westchester rescued her from an overcrowded shelter in the Carolinas in 2022 and transported her to our Rescue Center in Briarcliff Manor. She was picked up as a stray and no one ever claimed her.”
A smart and affectionate dog who is popular among staff at the shelter, Cindy Lou has flourished every time she’s been given the opportunity to explore the world outside beyond the shelter. “She loves going on hikes and really enjoys car rides when she goes off-site,” Bonanno-Spence said. “Cindy Lou also likes to stay busy as she’s very smart, so she takes part in our nose work sessions and is currently learning scent detection!”
Cindy Lou loves to play and has even developed an adorable trick that sees her stand with her front paws up, ready to receive belly rubs. Yet for all the amazing qualities she has, the sad reality is that, for nearly three years now, she’s not been adopted. The exact reason why that is, is unclear.
Bonanno-Spence said: “Being a big, strong lady has definitely been a deterrent for a lot of potential adopters. She can be slightly selective with who she wants to spend her time with, both two-and-four-legged but overall, she loves most people.”
The fact Cindy Lou weighs in at a hefty 80 pounds could also play a role. A 2021 study published in the journal Animals, in which researchers sought to identify the most common shared characteristics of long-term shelter dogs, found they were more often than not “large size” dogs.
Bonanno-Spence also worries that being in the shelter for such a long period of time has impacted Cindy Lou negatively. “She has become habituated to shelter life,” she said.
Despite this, she knows that, in the right kind of home, Cindy Lou would be the perfect rescue pet. “She will thrive in an adult home that is looking for an active dog and an environment where she has plenty of room to play and run,” she said.
Anyone who might be willing to provide that opportunity is encouraged to contact SPCA Westchester.