Dog Who's Spent Most of His 5 Years in Shelter Desperate for Forever Family

A dog who has spent almost his entire life in a shelter is hoping for a forever home after being repeatedly overlooked.

Nitro, a five-year-old mixed breed, is based at the Healthy Hearts and Paws Project shelter in Ohio, but why this pup is still without a home is a puzzle to everyone.

"Nitro is a head-scratcher when it comes to why he's not been adopted. He came to us nearly five years ago from a shelter in Columbus," Jason Cooke, president of the Healthy Hearts and Paws Project, told Newsweek.

His journey began almost five years ago when he narrowly escaped euthanasia in the Columbus kennel. Less than a year old, he had tested positive for heartworm. Sadly, because of the cost of treatment, dogs with heartworm are more likely to be euthanized in some shelters.

But Nitro's potential shone through and before long the Healthy Hearts and Paws Project stepped in: "Immediately, we saw all the potential that he had. He's so smart," said Cooke.

They took him to their facility where his heartworm was treated and he is now completely healthy.

Clearly intelligent, Nitro captured volunteers' attention with his antics: "If the volunteers drop their keys or something in the weeds or the woods, he can find them," Cooke said. "At one point, we had even had him evaluated to possibly be a rescue police dog, you know, maybe to search out narcotics and things like that."

But there was a snag when it came to Nitro's police dog assessment—he is afraid of the dark.

"He would not go into a room with the lights off to find stuff," said Cooke.

The shelter was thrilled when Nitro was adopted in 2020. But sadly, he was returned to the shelter just 327 days later. "The guy inexplicably brought him back," Cooke said.

Since then, they have continued to share pictures and videos of Nitro online, but there has still been no interest in the smart and loving pup.

"With the dogs that have been here longer, we give them larger accommodations—his kennel is 6 feet by 17 feet, so it's a big kennel," explained Cooke. "We decorate for Christmas and each year with lights, and you know, they do things for Easter so we do the best we can. We try to keep them as comfortable as we can and then try to get them a home."

Nitro's ideal home would be with someone who shares his love of an active lifestyle. "He needs daily exercise, probably a couple of times a day. It's not a requirement, but a fenced-in yard where they can just let him out the back and he can run around, burn off some energy. Or even another dog would be great," said Cooke.

Cooke concluded: "Probably no young kids, you know, probably like 5 or under just because he doesn't know his size. But a home with older kids would be fine."

As the holidays approach, Nitro remains hopeful for the ultimate gift—a forever home that can appreciate his unique qualities and loving nature.

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