Dog Rescued From ‘Life of Cruelty’ Still Waits for Home 1,165 Days Later

A 5-year-old pit bull named Lily is still looking for a forever home after spending 1,165 days at a Pennsylvania shelter, where she was taken after being rescued from a life of cruelty.

In a post shared on Facebook in August by the Pennsylvania SPCA, Lily is pictured laying down in her kennel, looking sad as if tired of living as a shelter dog when she could have a happy family instead.

“For 1,165 days, Lily has been living in our shelter, waiting patiently for someone to choose her,” the post explains. “Three years ago, Lily was rescued from a life of cruelty, but you’d never guess this was her past.

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“To this day, she wakes up grateful for a second chance. She will play with her favorite stuffy toys for hours and is eager to be outside [with] her friends who have taught her so much.

“Lily’s journey has been filled with ups and downs, yet she brings so much joy to every single heart she encounters. Now she is ready to finally leave shelter life behind and find a family who will cherish her for the beautiful soul she is.”

Sarah Brown, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania SPCA, told Newsweek that Lily arrived at their Philadelphia shelter in June 2021, after being rescued by their Animal Law Enforcement team and has been looking for a home ever since.

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“All of Lily’s volunteer and staff friends adore her,” Brown said. “She has a goofy and outgoing personality, even though she has lived in the shelter for three years. She loves stuffy toys, and it is rare that you will see her walking around our campus without one in tow! Lily is also very smart and loves to work on her training plan.

“She is looking for a home where she can be the only pet. Lily is a very happy and energetic pup, so would do best with older/teenage children.”

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The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across Facebook. It has so far received over 4,500 likes and 254 comments on the platform.

One user, Frank Williams, commented: “I lost my buddy I adopted from SPCA a few years ago. Lily looks sweet kinda like my buddy I lost a few years ago. How old is Lily?”

Bren Simon added: “Oh Lily. You are beautiful. I hope u find a forever home soon and be so happy.”

Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet Shelter Watch Report found.

According to the Humane Society of Macomb, the most common reasons for dog surrenders include age, allergies, behavioral issues, clean-up, cost, moving, new pets and shedding.

About 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

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