Heartbreak Over Dog's Expression on Day One vs. 730 in Shelter

Rescuers are desperately searching for a forever home for Red, the dog, who has been in a shelter for over two years.

The stray dog was picked up by the shelter in November 2021. Since then, he has gone unnoticed by people, and life in a kennel has begun to take its toll on the once upbeat dog.

Jacky, a volunteer at Associated Humane Societies, in Newark, New Jersey, spoke to Newsweek about how Red is beginning to lose hope.

"Within the last month, he hasn't been the bubbly Red I know. He sits on the sidewalks and cries during our walks—he seems different and he isn't sick.

"Being in the shelter for so long is getting him down," Jacky, who doesn't wish to share her surname, told Newsweek.

Red, an American Staffordshire terrier mix, has recently been evaluated by the shelter's dog trainer and passed the behavior assessments with "flying colors," Jacky says.

"We have put him in a training facility too—not that he needs it but we want to set him up to succeed," said Jacky from Bergen County, New Jersey.

She has bonded with Red over the years and believes he will make the perfect pet.

He would best suit an adult-only household and he shouldn't have a problem with other dogs—the shelter would host a dog meet-and-greet prior to adoption to ensure there isn't any animosity.

Jacky said: "He is very treat motivated, friendly, energetic and loves to play with other dogs.

"His forever home doesn't have to be super active, I think he could be a chilled dog if his owner is—or both—someone who wants to go on hikes and lounge around would also work."

When Red was first found, it was during the height of the pandemic and Jacky believes he has been forgotten along the way.

At the start, he wasn't presenting well in the kennel and often jumped around in a bid to catch someone's eye.

Jacky explained: "When he first got into the shelter, he was very stressed out, and he would bark, jump and spin around. He likes people so he was attention-seeking but to someone who doesn't know that, it looks bad, so people just walked past him.

"He has calmed down now, but the shelter is overcrowded, so he is overlooked."

Recently, Jacky, who is the founder of a foster-based registered domestic animal rescue, posted a heartfelt plea to their Facebook page.

The post shared to Heart & Soul Dog Rescue page received over 150 likes. Jacky wrote: "I'm doing my best to save you I promise," and asked for someone to foster the canine.

One user said: "Why won't any one step up and adopt this precious one. He didn't do anything to deserve this. I live in Florida and would take him in a heartbeat but they don't adopt out of state. I have 5 rescues already. Please give this sweet boy a chance and I promise you won't regret it."

Jacky told Newsweek: "It would mean the world to us if he could find a forever home."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.