When you hear about incredible stories from adoption shelters, it is usually about a dog or cat that nobody wants who eventually finds a loving owner. Many of these shelters have to find homes for pets and when they can’t some must be put down to make space for other animals who could have the chance of finding a home. It is a sad reality but when you consider the alternative it is the only thing that works. This means that if you do ever visit a shelter, pay attention to the dog that no one wants as that maybe the dog that needs you most. Today though we have a different story. Instead of a dog that no one wants we want to tell you about a dog that everybody wants.
Gumby is a beautiful white hound with small black spots. The dog is incredibly docile and has a face that is hard to forget. When Gumby was brought to the Charleston Animal Society (which is a no-kill shelter) they had no worries about finding a new owner. They were right Gumby was quickly adopted.
However to their surprise only a few weeks later Gumby was once again brought in as a stray. Had his owner abandoned him so quickly? After speaking to the owner the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) released that Gumby had run away from the new owner and despite the owner trying to find Gumby, the dog was lost. The owner came and collected the dog again and to her surprise, Gumby escaped again. It was not an ideal match.
With that, Gumby was returned to the Charleston Animal Society again in search of a new owner. In total Gumby would be brought in to the CAS eleven times. Sometimes as a stray, sometimes from an owner that could no longer keep up with all the escape routines. Each time he was brought in and readopted CAS warned the new owners that he was like a magician with his ability to escape. He could dig, jump, open some clasps, and never missed an opportunity to escape. Still, such a beautiful dog often found a suitor. Yet it never worked out. On one occasion an owner reported that Gumby ran straight through a screen door to get away.
Usually, when a dog is adopted they are so happy with their new owner and the affection they are receiving (without having to share with many many other dogs) they are incredibly happy. For some reason Gumby was different, Gumby just wanted out. After thinking about it the shelter team realized that when Gumby is at the shelter, he never tries to escape. It appears to be the one place that he is happy to stay.
The team decided that Gumby should no longer be a dog up for adoption but that he should become a shelter dog permanently. The team loved him and he loved the team, as well as that he got on well with all the other dogs.
Gumby has since become an integral member of the CAS team. His kind nature means he is a great companion for any dogs that are anxious or scared while at the shelter. In addition, he helps the team conduct something called behavioral demonstrations. Finally, it turns out he also has a rare blood type and has become a donor for kittens with eye infections.
The team at CAS says that they believe that Gumby continued to escape and return the shelter as he knew he had role to play. Now that he is a member of the team he gets to spend all day playing with other dogs and gets a huge amount of affection from the team. He also gives back by looking after dogs who need a friend. What a champ.
