A lovable dog named Major waited in vain at the Naperville Area Humane Society day after day for over a year to be adopted to his forever home. Despite his friendly demeanor and obvious love of humans, Major’s wagging tail and eager smile failed to capture the heart of a single visitor. Staff at the shelter were baffled as to how such an affable canine companion could be so consistently overlooked.
“None of us could figure out why [he wasn’t getting adopted], because he really is a great dog,” Kristen Funk, Naperville Area Humane Society executive director, said in an interview with The Dodo. “Unfortunately, I think that when [an animal] spends too long at a shelter, people tend to think there is something wrong with him or her. I think he fell into that stigma.”
According to shelter staff, Major was the perfect companion who brightened everyone’s day with his playful antics and gentle demeanor. He spent his days with shelter staff and enjoyed walks and playing with dog friends at the shelter. He was everyone’s favorite pup, and it broke their hearts that he had no family to call his own.
“It was really tough for all of his fans here,” Funk said. “He was very much beloved by staff and volunteers, so every day that went by without him having any interest was hard to see.”
Little did they know that Major’s luck would change in a big way. One day, the shelter received a call from Jose, a trucker who was mourning the loss of his long-time companion pup who’d been with him for many years. He said he was ready to find a new dog to hop into the cab with him and join him in his life on the road.
“We knew that he had to meet Major,” Funk said.
As luck would have it the two were a perfect match, and it wasn’t long before Jose showed up in his big rig and Major was strutting out of the shelter to begin a new adventure on the road with his new dad.
The humane society staff couldn’t contain their excitement.
“We were all smiles and happy tears over here — and still are!” Funk said.
These days, Major enjoys traveling the country with his dad and snuggling with him every night.
“We are so thrilled to hear that Major is enjoying his exciting life on the road,” Funk said. “For a dog who never liked to be alone, he has found the perfect situation and will forever be with his person.”
Source: The Dodo
