Finnley, a pit-bull terrier mix, first arrived at the Babylon Animal Shelter in New York when he was just four years old. According to a shelter volunteer named Christine Franke, Finnley’s story was all too familiar.
Before getting rescued, Finnley spent his life chained up in a pen outside his owner’s home. The only shelter that he had at the time was a small dog house. But when his owner passed away, Finnley was left all alone in the yard with no food and no water. And even worse than that was that his bowl had already maggots in it.
When Finnley was rescued and brought into the shelter, he was shy and scared and not to mention also emaciated. But being in the shelter with other dogs and receiving food as well as proper care was definitely an upgrade for the poor dog. The volunteers then started working closely with him, starting him with basic commands and teaching him how to walk on a leash.
But most importantly, Finnley started to learn how to trust again especially with humans after the obvious neglect of care that he experienced. Lyndsey Grosjean, kennel attendant at the shelter, would bring him into a little room in the shelter where they would often hang out. Finnley loved just relaxing on the bed and remembering how it was to be a dog.
After some time, the shelter put up Finnley on their list for adoption looking for a quiet home with older children and as the sole pet in the household. Aside from the shelter, volunteers also made various efforts to find Finnley a home by creating a Facebook page for him. But even with the amount of effort that everyone poured, they still couldn’t find the right fit for Finnley.
That was until Emma Sanes and Harold Sampson of Lindenhurst came to the shelter on Valentine’s Day. Initially, the couple was interested with another dog but something sparked when they browsed through the binder of other adoptable dogs and saw Finnley. They asked to meet him and when he came in, he hopped up onto Sampson right away and licked him.
And just like that, Finnley found his own family and home. It may have taken him 890 days but the long wait was definitely worth it.
Source: Patch
