12-13-2023 11:34am

Senior rescue dog faces fourth Christmas at the shelter, expressing a sense of defeat.

Samantha Hespos Editor

Enzo will spend Christmas at the shelter. It will be his fourth at the shelter.

A senior rescue dog is gearing up for his fourth straight Christmas at the shelter

On December 25, as dogs nationwide enjoy holiday festivities with their families, Enzo, the 7-year-old Labrador mix, will mark another Christmas at Save-A-Pet Rescue in Port Jefferson Station, New York.

Enzo, once a success story at Save-A-Pet Rescue, was adopted as a young dog. Regrettably, his stay at what he anticipated to be his forever home was unexpectedly shortened.

Dori Scofield, president of Save-A-Pet Rescue, explained to Newsweek: "He was returned because the owner became wheelchair bound, and Enzo became too much for him to handle. He was a lot younger and stronger then."

Even though Enzo has mellowed out in his old age, four years later, he remains at the shelter.

Senior dogs, like Enzo, often face challenges in finding new homes. In 2015, Priceonomics conducted a study examining adoption rates on the Petfinder website.

The findings revealed that while 95 percent of puppies on the site found new homes, only 68 percent of senior dogs, like Enzo, were adopted.

Enzo possesses qualities that make him an appealing option for those seeking to avoid the challenges of caring for a puppy. "We have had him professionally trained, and he's awesome," mentioned Scofield.

Despite this, she said that Enzo has attracted "zero" interest from people visiting the shelter. Scofield has an idea of why this is. "It's because he doesn't like other animals and so many people have other pets," she said.

It's disheartening to hear about Enzo's situation. It seems like the shelter is putting in a lot of effort to find him a home. Hopefully, the outreach with coasters helps attract the right person who can provide Enzo with a loving home.

Enzo sounds like a wonderful companion with simple needs. Hopefully, the right person comes forward soon to provide him with the loving home and fenced yard he deserves. Persistence often pays off in these situations.

But while Enzo may be facing Christmas and a lot longer besides at the shelter, at the very least, there will always be a place for him there. "If he doesn't find a home, he will spend his life at our shelter," Scofield said.