A shelter puppy who suffered the heartbreak of seeing each of his siblings adopted while he was left behind has been given a second chance at life.
Sawyer and his litter mates were rescued from a puppy mill before being brought to Elmbrook Humane Society (EBHS) in Wisconsin.
Things should have been promising for Sawyer as puppies tend to be the most popular pick among potential adopters.
A study by Priceonomics, the price guide site, looked at data from adoption site Petfinder. It found that 95 percent of listed puppies ended up being adopted during the period of the study, compared with 75.5 percent of adult dogs and 68.2 percent of seniors.
But despite the odds being heavily stacked in his favor, Sawyer was struggling to drum up much adoption interest.
Natalie Hoskins, executive director at EBHS, told Newsweek that some of Sawyer’s initial struggles may have been down to shyness and the fact he is only now, quite literally, beginning to find his voice.
“Sawyer is a Cattle Dog, which means he has a lot of spunk! While a little shy at first, after some time to adjust we think he will grow into a confident and loving companion,” she said.
“He has recently found his voice, which is adorable in a puppy but not so much as an adult for most people.”
Having seen each of his siblings adopted, staff at the shelter made efforts to ensure Sawyer didn’t feel quite so alone. They ended up backfiring as well.
“We have also housed him with other puppies at the shelter to help with the transition,” Hoskins said. “Unfortunately for him, his new friends keep getting adopted.”
Eager to step up their efforts to find Sawyer a home, the shelter posted a video to its TikTok page highlighting how Sawyer was “sad” and “alone” since seeing his family head off to forever homes of their own.
The hope was that the clip would generate a response that would ultimately see Sawyer do the same as the other puppies in his litter.
That proved to be the case, with Hoskins confirming to Newsweek that Sawyer has now been adopted and sharing a video showing him meeting his new family.
“He’s living with a young, active couple that was very excited to adopt,” Hoskins said. “We like to give adopters a little while to get settled before checking in with them post-adoption, but he’ll be spoiled as the only pet in the household and get plenty of exercise.”
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