'Loving' Dog Due to Spend Second Christmas at Shelter Seeks Forever Home

A "loving" dog looking for a forever home is set to spend a second Christmas at an animal shelter after she received no adoption applications.

Lurcher Nova, 4, still awaits her new family, at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (RSPCA) Sheffield Animal Shelter, in northern England.

While Nova seemed delighted with her Christmas sprout chew toy as an early gift, staffers believe a new home would be the perfect present for her this holiday season.

Emily Harrison, animal care lead at Sheffield, told Newsweek: "We are really hopeful that Nova will find her forever home this Christmas, fingers crossed her new family might even be reading this article.

"Nova is such an amazing girl and once she is your friend she is there to stay, she turns into such a playful pup, with just the right amount of sweetness. She can struggle with strangers so she needs a home who can account for her nerves and help her to feel safe and secure.

"Nova is an extremely clever and loving girl and once she trusts you, will give you the world in love and attention. She is a really special girl, who just needs a chance."

The RSPCA branch said Nova arrived at the shelter following several fights with a dog at her previous home. But she has gone on to establish a playful nature and is now looking for a loving family.

While Nova is ready to share her loving nature with a new family, she would prefer a home where she is the single pet in the household.

"Nova will happily walk around other dogs and interact with them, she just wasn't ready to share her family with another dog," the shelter said on its website.

Despite this, staff will consider a home with older, dog-savvy children, although it stated a prospective family would need to visit her in the shelter several times to build a bond with her.

According to the RSPCA, 26,945 animals were rehomed from its U.K. network of centers and branches in 2021.

Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet "Shelter Watch Report" found.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.