Joy for Shelter Dog Who Never Lost Hope As Others Around Him Were Adopted

A shelter dog who never lost hope of finding a new home, despite seeing all those around him adopted, has finally found one to call his own.

Earlier this month, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) in Colorado Springs took to social media to issue an appeal to help one of their canine residents, Buster, finally find a home.

Little was known about his life prior to arrival at the shelter. ""Buster was brought into us as a stray after a good Samaritan found him wandering from door to door in their neighborhood," Cody Costra from HSPPR told Newsweek.

However, it didn't take long for Buster to make a big impression on everyone who came into contact with him there. "Our staff noticed right away that he was just one big, happy dog that was excited to meet new people," Costra said. "That excitement often came out with big jumps and constantly wanting to play."

To their way of thinking, he had all the necessary qualities to make an ideal addition to any family seeking a happy-go-lucky hound. "Buster has energy for days and especially loves playtime, going on walks outside, and learning new things," Costra said.

However, he initially struggled to find that special someone and instead suffered the heartbreak of going through five face-to-face visits with potential adopters only to remain at the shelter.

"We don't know for sure why Buster didn't find a new home in his first five visits. He tended to jump on people when meeting them and at 65 pounds," Costra said. "Buster was likely waiting for a family that was used to handling big dogs."

The shelter environment has been shown to take its toll on its canine residents. A 2006 study in the journal Physiology and Behavior found canines living in shelters during a three-day period after arrival had three times the level of the stress hormone cortisol in their system than dogs residing in a standard household.

Despite the setbacks he has faced, however, Buster seemingly never lost his sunny disposition. "Buster was always a super happy and wiggly dog when he was at HSPPR!" Costra said. "Even though he watched other dogs get adopted before him, HSPPR volunteers said that Buster was always happy to see them and bond while on walks outside."

Nevertheless, the shelter sought to up its efforts to find Buster a home by posting a video of the pooch to social media alongside the question: "Does Buster belong with you?"

For one family watching online, the answer turned out to be yes. Costra confirmed the good news: "A family met with Buster and fell in love with him when they did an official visit, and decided to adopt him right then and there."

It turns out Buster was just waiting for the right family to come along. Maybe he knew they would, maybe he's just one of the lucky ones, but whatever the case, he never lost his joy for life and now he's looking forward to a life of joy with a family he can finally consider his own.

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