A shelter dog rescued in the most heartbreaking of circumstances has now chalked up five years without finding a forever home.
Nala hasn’t had much luck when it comes to finding a new family since arriving at Pet Friends in Irwin, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
She isn’t dog- or cat-friendly, which complicates things a little. But she is a good dog facing an increasingly difficult situation. That’s what being in a shelter for such a long period of time can do.
A 2021 study published in the journal Animals noted that, while long-term shelter dogs suffered no impairment to their physical well-being during these extended stays, they did demonstrate some stress-related behaviors.
The shelter is doing everything it can to help Nala, though. Heather Garbowsky, a volunteer at Pet Friends, told Newsweek she takes Nala on doggy field trips as often as possible, to give him a taste of life and a pup cup or two along the way.
“Her greatest love is car rides, which is her safe, quiet place where she can relax and be herself,” Garbowsky said. “I try to switch it up so she can experience life as much as possible.
“We always hit the local drive-thrus. We go for walks in quiet parking lots that still have some grass for her to feel. Picnics at the local bank on a Sunday was another favorite spot for her.”
Foster stays provide dogs like Nala with an opportunity to experience an environment away from the hustle and bustle of the shelter.
Nala’s issues around other dogs make that an impossibility for Garbowsky, but she has found a solution of sorts. “I have taken her to my home, without my dogs being there, and shown her what a soft bed feels like,” she said. “You can feel her happiness and joy when she has her own space.”
Any joy Nala feels in those moments is, unfortunately, only temporary; when the time comes, she has to face the sad reality that her home is, for now, back at the shelter. “When I pick her up at the shelter, she can’t get out that door fast enough,” Garbowsky said. “Returning is another story.”
Nala’s story first came to light on social media when Danielle Baughman, a volunteer at Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, posted a clip of her enjoying a pup cup to her TikTok @all_deez_animals.
Baughman told Newsweek how Nala’s story “touched my heart” so she felt compelled to spread the word. “She is a sweet dog once she lets you in,” Baughman said.
Letting people in hasn’t ever been easy, though there is a valid reason for that. Five years ago, Nala was found in an abandoned house, her body covered in scars and other alarming evidence that pointed to past abuse. Even then, however, she remained fiercely loyal to the person who had left her for dead. “Nala refused to leave the home in case her owner came back for her,” Baughman said.
Now, having left the only place she ever considered home, Nala is facing a seemingly endless wait to find another.
Baughman is determined to change that. “Nala has been in shelters the majority of her life,” she said.
“I hope this story will touch the right person who is willing to give her a home. Nala would do best in a home as an only pet and with humans who are willing to give her time to fall in love with them.”
Garbowsky said in agreement: “Even though Pet Friends gives her a safe loving space, she truly wants a home to call her own with no other pets.”
Sadly, however, Nala is not alone in this. Baughman said: “I also would love to raise awareness for the countless dogs like Nala who just sit and wait.”
Anyone wishing to take a chance on Nala is encouraged to contact Pet Friends in Irwin, though they will need to live within 75 miles of the shelter to adopt.
The post Dog Abandoned in Empty Home Refused To Leave ‘in Case Her Owner Came Back’ appeared first on Newsweek.
