Dog Surrendered After Just Month With Family Has Now Spent Year in Shelter

A dog who was surrendered after just four weeks of life with a family has now spent more than a year at a shelter.

Amber the 5-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier came into the care of the People for Animal Care Trust (PACT) Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, England, back in October 2022.

According to the PACT website, Amber was relinquished to the shelter because "a member of the household was allergic to her." They had picked her up after answering an ad on Facebook offering her "free to a good home."

It's impossible to know the impact that experience of being taken home by a new family only to be abandoned a few weeks later has on a dog but it can't be good.

By the time she arrived with PACT, she was in a bad way. "Amber came to us in a very sorry state and was in poor health, it took a little while to get her well again and she now looks like a different dog," the shelter states. "We believe she has allergic skin disease."

Thankfully, she's currently being treated with a supplement called Coatex, which PACT will continue to supply to anyone opting to adopt her.

It's difficult to know why Amber has yet to find a home, though her age could well be a factor. In 2015, a study conducted by Priceonomics highlighted the struggles faced by senior dogs.

Using data compiled from the adoption website Petfinder, they found that while 95 percent of puppies on the site ended up finding new homes, that proportion dropped to 68 percent among senior dogs.

Amber is a favorite among staff at PACT though, thanks to what they describe as her "very loving and affectionate" nature. "We really can't understand why she is still with us," the shelter said.

"She can be a little nervous of new people but once she knows you she loves being with you, she just needs time and patience."

Capable of walking to heel and both obedient and responsive to training, they are convinced that, with the right home, and some much needed love and care, she would really come out of her shell.

"Amber is not suitable to live with cats or other dogs and would be happiest as an only pet. She may be suitable for social lead walks with other dogs if introduced correctly," they said. "Amber can be rehomed with children of the age 12 years and over."

Anyone wishing to adopt Amber can do so via the PACT website. Jordane Ellis-Williams, communications officer at PACT, told Newsweek they had had "a few" applications to adopt Amber since her plight came to light on social media.

Amber's story was highlighted in a post shared to Facebook by PACT. It got a huge response. "She's an absolute sweetheart! She would make an amazing companion!," one user wrote. "She is so beautiful! Praying she finds her forever home in time for Christmas."

Let's hope that her Christmas wish comes true.