Feel Good Friday: Former “Pet of the Day” finds home after 540 days of waiting
LOGAN COUNTY, Ky. (WNKY) – A shy Logan County shelter dog who spent 540 days waiting behind kennel doors has finally found a home, thanks to a woman watching television nearly two hours away.
Francesca, a gentle dog who arrived at Logan County Animal Care and Control with her littermates, had long been overlooked because of her timid personality, shelter director Aric Tousignant said. While other dogs eagerly greeted visitors, Francesca would retreat to the back of her kennel, unsure of new people and new surroundings.
“She was the shy one,” Tousignant said. “She’d kind of cower back. I think that’s why she kept getting overlooked.”
Over the next year and a half, staff members worked with her slowly, walking her, sitting with her during feeding time and gradually introducing her to other dogs. Over the past few months, Tousignant said, Francesca began to open up, showing more trust and confidence.
Even so, the days kept passing with no adoption. Then, just before Thanksgiving, she appeared on WNKY News 40’s Pet of the Day segment.
In Hart County, Virginia Thompson was watching.
“When they said 538 days, it just broke my heart,” Thompson said. “I told my husband, ‘If she’s still there tomorrow, I have to go get her.’”
The next day, Thompson called the shelter, the only person to inquire about Francesca following the segment. She and her husband drove nearly two hours to meet her.
Tousignant said the connection was immediate.
“A lot of people say you don’t pick your dog, your dog picks you,” he said. “And she lit up when Virginia walked in.”
Francesca went home that day. Thompson, who has six other adopted dogs, said Francesca has already started learning how to walk on a leash, play with toys and adjust to her new surroundings.
“She’s wonderful. She wants to be loved. And she is loved,” Thompson said. “I’m just so glad I saw that Pet of the Day or she’d still be there.”
For the shelter staff who spent 540 days caring for her, Francesca’s adoption brought emotional relief.
“It’s joyful tears,” Tousignant said. “You get attached after a year and a half. But seeing her in her forever home, that’s the goal.”
Now settling in for her first holiday season with her new family, Francesca’s long wait has finally ended. And for everyone who watched her journey, her new beginning has quickly become something to be thankful for.
