Rescue Dog Adopted Then Returned Spends Year Waiting to Be Noticed Again

A young shelter dog who experienced the heartbreak of being adopted and then quickly returned now spends his days waiting to be noticed by another visitor.

Andy the rescue pup first arrived at the Little Guild animal shelter in West Cornwall, Connecticut, in October 2022. By then, he had gone through a lot already, having been surrendered to a shelter in Georgia with significant injuries after he became badly tangled in a tie-out and runner system set up to confine him to his then-owner's yard.

"We do not have many details on what happened early in his life, but whatever it was, it wasn't great," Kelsey Turick, animal care specialist at the Little Guild, told Newsweek. "This probably led to him not trusting people right away."

Andy suffers from an understandable degree of what Turick describes as "stranger danger," often feeling threatened, anxious or territorial around people he does not know. But she said once he lets his guard down the young pup is "the best boy."

"Andy is a little on the timid side at first, but once you earn his trust he will shower you with affection and loyalty," she said.

It can be hard for Andy to let his guard down, though. After all, he's had his heart broken on more than one occasion already. Having been surrendered to the shelter as a pup, Andy seemed to have found himself a new forever family quickly after being adopted.

However, he was soon returned to the shelter for, as Turick puts it, "being reactive to people." Since then, Andy has been quietly watching and waiting from the comfort and safety of his enclosure, fearful of whoever visits.

Sadly, the odds are firmly stacked against a dog like Andy. A 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that the average shelter visitor interacts with just one dog every time they visit and that these interactions last just eight minutes.

That's barely enough time for Andy to let his guard down and reveal the kindhearted and loving canine Turick and the other staff at the Little Guild have come to love.

Turick remains hopeful that he can find that special someone and has a pretty clear idea of the type of owner he needs.

"We love him so much and really hope his forever family is out there," she said. "It is going to take someone patient and understanding to work with him on his reactivity and initial fear of new people. Andy has medium to high energy and needs calm, confident handling to help him overcome his insecurities."

Despite his enduring such a difficult start to life, Turick said that, with the right person, a bright future is still possible for Andy.

"With a trusted handler, he can be a very wiggly, happy-go-lucky boy. He loves to cuddle and play with toys," she said. "His ideal home will provide Andy with the guidance he needs and be ready to be rewarded with devotion and love. He is absolutely amazing with other dogs and would thrive with another dog in the home."

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