Shelter Dog Waits In A Cowboy Hat To Meet His New Family — But They Never Show

“While we do everything we can to make his days brighter, what King really needs is a family to call his own.”

King was found as a stray in early March by LaBelle Animal Control. Unfortunately, the shelter was over capacity, so they reached out to Patty Baker Humane Society Naples to help, and they happily agreed to take King.

“King is a big goofball with an even bigger heart,” Patrizia Vila, director of communications and special projects at Patty Baker Humane Society Naples, told The Dodo. “He loves making new friends, whether they have two legs or four, and is always excited to meet new people and dogs. He has a playful side and enjoys running around, exploring and having fun, but he also has a sweet, gentle side. After he’s gotten his energy out, King is more than happy to curl up next to you and soak up all the attention he can get.”

With such a winning personality, the shelter was confident King would get snatched up quickly. The very social pup was struggling with shelter life, as all he really wants is to be around people as often as possible. When a family set up a meet and greet with King, the staff hoped this was his moment.

“We put an adorable ‘Adopt Me’ bandana on him and topped it off with a cowboy hat,” Vila said. “He was all set to wag his tail, charm his potential family and hopefully head home that day. King loves meeting new people, so he was excited for the opportunity to make some new friends and show off his goofy personality.”

With his tail wagging and cowboy hat secured, King was ready to seal the deal. Sadly, the family never showed.

No-shows occur a lot in the shelter world. Life happens, people get busy or decide they’re not actually ready to adopt. It’s all too common — but for King, it was a huge blow.

“King is one of those dogs that everyone falls in love with when they meet him, yet he’s still waiting for his forever home,” Vila said. “While we do everything we can to make his days brighter, what King really needs is a family to call his own.”

Some dogs have specific requirements or needs for their future forever home. For King, he just wants to be included. Love is what he’s looking for above all else, and his friends at the shelter are hoping he won’t have to wait too much longer to find it.

“He’s the kind of playful, fun-loving dog who would make an incredible companion for an active family ready to keep up with his goofy energy and then wind down with him at the end of the day,” Vila said. “More than anything, he’s looking for a family that will give him the love, attention and companionship he’s been missing while waiting at the shelter.”