Percy, a pit bull mix, was dumped at a shelter in Wilmington, Ohio, on Dec. 15, 2021. He’s been there since.
“He’s a very good boy,” said Debbie Duquette, an adoption facilitator and board member of PAWS Humane Society Inc.
Percy has been at the shelter longer than any dog, nearly 1,500 days.
“It’s almost unheard of in the shelter world that you would have a dog there that long,” Duquette said, noting that he has never been fostered or left the shelter for more than a few hours.
According to data compiled by Shelter Animals Count, the median length of stay for larger dogs is 20 days.
When Percy arrived at the shelter, he had torn ligaments in both knees and underwent two surgeries. His recovery took several weeks.
“He had a hard time out of the gate,” Duquette said.
Shelter staff believe Percy, who is 7, has been overlooked by adopters for two main reasons: his size (he is about 80 pounds) and the fact that he doesn’t get along with cats and some dogs.
“There’s certain dogs he’s fine with, others not so much,” Duquette said, and the shelter would prefer to place him in a home without pets.
Shelter workers adore Percy and regularly take him out for day trips and pup cups, she said. Another favorite treat is carrots soaked in chicken broth.
“He likes cuddles, he likes to bask in the sun,” Duquette said. “So many of our volunteers have other dogs, and if they didn’t, they would have taken him home in a heartbeat.”
After several unsuccessful social media campaigns and some local news coverage, the shelter is employing an approach it hasn’t tried before: throwing him a “paw-ty” on Jan. 24 and inviting prospective adopters.
“We called it a birthday because who wants to celebrate being stuck at the shelter for four years?” Duquette said, adding that Percy’s real birthday is in July. “It’s a celebration of this little guy’s tenacity. … He’s sticking in there, and we love him and want everyone to know how good he is.”
The afternoon event will include light refreshments for humans, and Percy will get plenty of treats.
“Our volunteers love this dog as if he were their own,” Duquette said. “We are going to love on him until he finds a home.”
Judy Harvey, a volunteer at the shelter for more than 15 years, said she’s had a bond with Percy from the beginning.
“He is a resilient boy, and he’s got such a unique personality that it’s almost as if he’s just making the best of the situation,” she said.
Duquette said there have been some adoption requests for Percy over the years, but none have panned out. The shelter has a rigorous vetting process, she said, and because of Percy’s constraints with other pets, it has been difficult to place him. He is also entering his senior years, which can bring new challenges, including possibly arthritis due to his surgeries.
“He’s going to need some special care,” she said.
Duquette said dogs are not supposed to live in shelter environments for long stretches of time, as the noise and chaos can cause anxiety.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said dogs thrive when they get ample exercise and mental stimulation, have stable social relationships, and are able to make choices about their activities and interactions.
“It is very challenging to meet these needs in a shelter environment over an extended period,” the ASPCA said in a statement.
Some days, Percy seems depressed and won’t eat his meals. When he’s having a down day, staff will give him a treat for dinner, a massage and an extra walk to perk him up.
“We look him in the eye every day, and we tell him: ‘We’re working for you and trying to get you home,’” Duquette said.
She said she has faith someone at Percy’s paw-ty will want to take him home.
“None of us are willing to give up,” Duquette said.
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