Chief hopes to find forever home after repeated stays at Bowling Green animal shelter
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Wednesday is National Dog Day, and the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society is highlighting Chief, a 2-and-a-half-year-old husky mix who has become the shelter’s longest current resident.
Chief has spent the past three months at the shelter, but Director Lorri Hare said this is not his first stay. He has passed through the shelter roughly eight times after coming from a situation that was not ideal.
Hare said Chief’s size, energy level and need for regular exercise may cause some potential adopters to overlook him. However, she believes he would make a loyal companion for someone with an active lifestyle.
“I think his pure size gets him overlooked,” Hare said. “Everybody knows that huskies need some disciplined grooming. And I just wish somebody would give him the opportunity.”
Chief is housebroken and enjoys being around other dogs, according to shelter staff. Hare said an owner who enjoys jogging, hiking or taking frequent walks could be a good match for him.
During his latest stay, Chief has also watched several kennel roommates leave with new families while he continues waiting.
“I think now, honestly, he thinks we’re his owners,” Hare said. “Our staff loves him, but he deserves somebody that he knows he can go home to every day. He’s had a ton of different roommates because they keep getting adopted, and he keeps getting overlooked.”
Chief’s experience reflects a larger challenge facing animal shelters. Hare said large dogs and bonded pairs are often among the most difficult animals to place. She said shelters are receiving more large dogs while fewer people are adopting them.
Another barrier is the way dogs may behave inside a stressful and noisy shelter.
Hare said excited dogs may bark or jump when visitors enter the kennel area because they are competing for attention. That behavior can cause visitors to continue walking without seeing how the animal acts in a quieter environment.
“How they act in the kennels is not how they act at home,” Hare said. “We tell people, ‘don’t go off your first impression. Get that dog out and spend a few hours or a few minutes, even if that’s all you’ve got, with it.’”
The humane society offers a slumber party program that allows prospective adopters to take a dog home for three or four days to see how the animal behaves outside the shelter and whether it would be a good fit for their household.
With National Dog Day observed Aug. 26 each year, shelter employees hope the right person will see Chief and give him an opportunity to show his personality beyond the kennel.
