Photo: Courtesy Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society
ANorth Carolina doghas finally found his forever home after spending seven years in a Jackson County shelter.
Mitch, a 12-year-old treeing walker coonhound, wasadoptedafter his new mom Teresa Shular saw avideotheCashiers-Highland Humane Societyposted to their TikTok sharing Mitch’s story.
“I cried when I watched it the first time,” she toldher local ABC station. “I cried when I watched it the second time. I thought about it and prayed about it for a few days.”
Shular and her husband ultimately decided to adopt the dog, who was the longest-term resident of the shelter at that point. “Couldn’t get up there fast enough to get him,” Shular said.
Courtesy Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society
The assistant shelter manager, Jodi Henkel, told the station Mitch arrived as a stray; he was found “emaciated and high-strung.” However, even though he mellowed out over the years thanks to the staff’s attention and care, Mitch remained a hard sell due to his older age.
“For some reason, people look at hound dogs and don’t see them as pets, age, breed,” Henkel said. “We like to see every dog have a chance because they all deserve it.”
Shular is now enjoying her time with Mitch, who loves lying on his new porch and roaming around his home’s large property.
While some of Shular’s friends have questioned her getting an older dog, Shular defends her choice, stating that she wants to provide Mitch with a better life in his senior years.
Shular plans on keeping the pup as comfortable as possible and loving him just as much.
Cashiers-Highland Humane Society’s director, David Stroud, said there is a life lesson to learn from Mitch’s late adoption.
“I believe that if Mitch has a message for all of us, it’s just that: never give up,” he told the station.
source: people.com
