Ellie Mitchell was scrolling through her Facebook when a picture of a sweet-looking black dog caught her eye and just like that, a dog is adopted. The dog had floppy ears and a face speckled with gray. The caption on the post accompanying the photo read, "Overlooked for 11 Years." The post written by the shelter in New Orleans said it was one of the oldest dogs in the shelter.
Vanessa, was left at shelter as a puppy in 2012, a casualty of her owners' relocation. Unfortunately, she spent most of her life in a kennel at Villalobos, a rescue facility for pit bulls, amid hundreds of other dogs, with about 50 adoptions occurring monthly. Vanessa, however, remained unnoticed, passing over time and again.
For more than a decade, Vanessa's life had been confined at shelter. Despite the shelter adopting out around 50 dogs every month, Vanessa was repeatedly overlooked by potential adopters.
On July 14th, Mitchell came across Vanessa's large brown eyes and learned her story. "I saw her sweet little face, and my heart just went out to her," shared Mitchell, and "It made me sad to think that she'd lived her whole life without a family."
With her three other rescue dogs, Mitchell felt that Vanessa would fit in perfectly. She swiftly submitted an adoption application for Vanessa.
Tia Torres, the founder of the shelter, was astonished when Mitchell's application arrived just 30 minutes after Vanessa's story had been posted on Facebook. The response didn't stop there – numerous other adoption offers soon flooded in.
"She’s a really sweet dog with no behavioral issues, but through no fault of her own, she just got overlooked," Torres explained. "Not one person has ever noticed her until now."
When a dog is adopted...
The shelter, Villalobos Rescue Center, gained recognition through the Animal Planet show "Pit Bulls & Parolees," which showcased the lives of reformed volunteers and the dogs they cared for at the shelter.
Vanessa's journey started in 2012 when she was dropped off at the shelter during a sweltering summer afternoon. A couple left her in the back of an enclosed moving truck, like a piece of discarded furniture. Torres recalls that Vanessa was about 12 weeks old and emaciated at the time.
Torres tried really hard to show how great Vanessa could be as a senior companion, but people still didn't notice her. Torres even set up for Vanessa to hang out with a shelter staff member outside, hoping she'd feel more at ease and still have a chance to find a new home.
After 11 long years, Vanessa finally got the attention she deserved. Recognising Mitchell's sincere interest and prior connection with the shelter, Torres saw her as an ideal candidate to adopt Vanessa.
Because of Mitchell's kindness and dedication, Vanessa's last years are going to be her happiest. Whether Vanessa wants to sit on someone's lap or relax on a comfy couch, Mitchell's main goal is to give her lots of love and take care of her. He wants to make sure Vanessa is really happy during this time.
"I just want to make her final years the best years she’s ever known," Mitchell expressed. "Vanessa has definitely earned it."
Source: Free, Cathy. The Washington Post, August 5, 2023 Accessed on August 6 2023 at 14:21