By Rachael O'Connor
A senior dog had almost given up finding his forever home when one woman visiting the shelter changed his life forever—he had ignored previous adopters until he met her.
Original Good Boy, or OGB for short, was eight years old when he was surrendered to the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC, before being brought to St Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey.
When 70-year-old Susan Wright visited the shelter just before Christmas last year, adopting a senior dog was the last thing on her mind.
She told Newsweek: "We were walking around looking at the fur babies when I noticed one dog had his back to the door ignoring all attempts to engage him.
"I didn't think he was particularly 'cute', he looked like a very serious dog. He had the square head of a bulldog and the compact muscular body of a terrier or pit bull, weighed about 80 pounds and was 8.5 years old. An attendant said OGB did not like being in the shelter and had just given up."
"It broke my heart," she added.
OGB was loved by his previous owner, who gave him his unique name, but sadly had no choice in giving him up. He was an immediate hit with staff at the shelter, and "couldn't get enough love, belly rubs, and scratches," St Hubert's staff member Diane Ashton told Newsweek.
"And when he gets really pleased, he does an adorable little 'happy dance.'"
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But tragically, she said, "senior dogs can sometimes get overlooked at shelters".
"Compared to noisier, more boisterous dogs, OGB seemed a bit more low-key and reserved in the kennel, which is why he might not have been immediately noticed by potential adopters," she explained.
This is, unfortunately, true for so many older animals: the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) states in an online publication that it is "hard for many would-be adopters to resist puppies and kittens. Older animals awaiting adoption are often overlooked when the cuteness factor of a young pet (puppy breath!) outweighs a gray muzzle."
However the organization adds: "Older pets have many advantages. They don't require as much supervision and maintenance as younger animals. They're often better behaved, house-trained, and know basic commands. Their personalities are already developed. What you see is what you get."
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After meeting OGB, Wright began taking him on field trips: walks around the neighborhood, playing in the park, and even trips to Starbucks for puppacinos.
"We had a slightly rocky start as I knew nothing about how to walk a dog, especially a strong dog," she said.
"OGB wouldn't look at me or listen to me. I noticed he did not 'see' women, but men he paid very close attention to and particularly those in a large SUV or truck. He also didn't react to children."
Wright spotted the signs that OGB's previous owner had likely been a male who regularly ran or jogged. She hired a trainer to help the two of them understand each other, and soon a strong bond began to form between them.
"When my daughters discovered what I was doing, they wanted to go on a walk with OGB. They loved him on sight and thought he was quite handsome," Wright said, adding: "It felt a little like introducing a date to them."
After multiple field trips and training, followed by overnight trips to Wright's house, she decided to foster him, or as she put it: "February 18, 2024, OGB was released into my custody. And he never left."
"When an interested party contacted me about potentially adopting OGB, in that instant, I knew he was mine," she said.
"I had made a promise I wouldn't leave him until he was adopted. If he was with me, he would always be in a good home.
"If I described the dog I would have chosen, he probably wouldn't look like OGB, and he probably wouldn't be as old. But I also probably wouldn't have thought about the traits that make OGB a wonderful housemate and who has (almost) always been well behaved."
Wright hopes her and OGB's story will highlight "the joy adopting an older fur baby will give, in ways that someone may not anticipate".
"Our fur babies are not disposable and care should be taken to ensure the match is a good one. My little bit of experience suggests common sense and a good trainer can assist the relationship to get off to a good start."
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Now the pair are inseparable, and OGB — now known as Ogee — is showing off his gentle nature to others.
Last week, Wright said, her daughter was walking Ogee when they saw a little boy fall off his bike and injure his wrist.
As her daughter called the boy's mother, "Ogee laid between my daughter's legs and the boys pet him and he calmly and gently gave them little licks on their hands. Would all dogs do that, I don't know. But we think it makes Ogee very special."
St Hubert's shelter shared the happy news of Ogee's adoption to their Facebook page, complete with an adorable photo of Wright and her new pet grinning at the camera.
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In just one day, the post gained hundreds of likes, with animal lovers flooding the comments to congratulate OGB on finding his forever home.
"What a wonderful outcome for OGB. Congrats Susan," one user wrote, with another calling it "an amazing story".
One said: "I love this! I was so happy to see he was adopted, it broke my heart seeing him there. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story!"
And another added: "This makes me so happy! OGB just needed that special
someone to see and realize what a great boy he is. After much waiting,
he found his perfect person!"
Full Article & Source:
Senior Shelter Dog 'Ignores' Everyone, Then 70-Year-Old Woman Meets Him
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