Dog 'Nobody Wants' Still Waiting to Be Adopted After 500 Days Breaks Hearts

A video of a pup that has been a shelter dog for over 18 months has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received over 133,000 views.

The clip was posted four days ago by TikTok user Julie Saraceno (@juliesaraceno2), a 41-year-old graphic designer and photographer based in Pasco, Washington. Saraceno is a volunteer at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, an animal shelter in Kennewick, Washington.

A message overlaid on the clip reads: "POV You've been a shelter dog for over 500 days and nobody wants to take you home." The footage shows Butter, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever mixed-breed dog, laying on a blanket inside an enclosure at the shelter.

Butter has "always been a nervous guy, and the shelter life doesn't help much either," Saraceno told Newsweek. She added that the shelter staff say Butter is "definitely a people dog," but when it comes to other canines at the shelter, "he doesn't seem to want to share his space with others for too long, and that's OK."

Around 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters across the U.S., including some 3.1 million dogs, based on 2019 data compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Among the dogs entering shelters, around 65 percent are adopted, while 13 percent are euthanized, says the ASPCA.

The shelter's staff member said Butter is fed three times a day, as "he doesn't hold weight very well." Back in December, he suffered a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture, one of the most common orthopedic injuries in dogs.

Through physical exercise and pain management, Butter is doing much better now but "stairs may never be his strong suit though," the staff member added.

"He really deserves a home with lower traffic that can provide daily walks, play time, and a comfy bed for him. He may do better without another dog, but if the right fit comes around, then that'd be amazing," the staff member said, according to Saraceno.

What Is Black Dog Syndrome?

A previous post suggested that Butter's ongoing wait for a home may be tied to "black dog syndrome," a theory that dogs with black coats are less likely to get adopted than other dogs.

A note overlaid on this post reads: "Observed by shelters and rescue groups across the world, BDS [black dog syndrome] is an issue negatively affecting the adoption rates of black pets."

Saraceno said: "I do feel like, from what I've seen, black dogs stay in the shelter longer. I think it's some sort of unconscious bias people have walking through the shelter. The darker dogs just don't stand out as much in their kennel."

Stanley Coren is a professor emeritus in the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia and the author of several books about dogs. In an October 2020 article for the American Kennel Club, he wrote that perhaps "negative superstitions" about black dogs "hover at the back of the minds of people looking for a pet." He added that some studies have shown that "black dogs are not viewed positively."

In a study done in his laboratory, Coren said: "We had people rate photographs of dogs, including a set of Labrador retrievers that differed only in color. We found that black Labs were rated 27 percent less friendly than yellow Labs, and that black dogs were twice as likely to be rated as being aggressive."

'Black Dogs Are the Best'

The latest clip has broken the hearts of users on TikTok, with h.nicosia writing: "That sweet face. Black dogs are the absolute best."

Brit asked: "HOW?! What an adorable dog, black dogs are the best."

User thania posted, "such a pretty baby," while caylee wrote, "he's so precious."

User @laurenr_22 commented: "SOMEONE ADOPT THIS ANGEL."

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.