By Emilia Randall
One Ohio dog spent almost three years at a dog shelter before finally finding its forever home after volunteers said his “spark was fading.”
Echo the five-and-a-half-year-old dog finally left the Marion Area Humane Society shelter on Monday, after being given up by his family 852 days earlier when they discovered they had a baby on the way. The shelter was ultimately sad to see Echo go saying he had become “a huge part of their lives”, adding they were frustrated by Echo’s elongated stay, the lenthiest they’ve ever seen.
The shelter said in a Facebook post: “Echo, our longest-term resident was surrendered in 2021… he has waited SO long for someone to give him a chance." The shelter asked its followers to “Wish him luck in his foster to adopt home” adding that he was one of its most loved residents.
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It said: “Everyone who knows Echo loves him! We are going to miss this boy so much at MAHS. After almost 3 years he has made himself a huge part of our lives.”
The Facebook post shows Echo looking beside himself with happiness as he greets his new rescue family, who crouch down to pat the dog’s head. In November, the shelter posted a plea to potential adopters, saying the dog was “still waiting for a home” and was losing his hope, as he was still waiting for a home after meeting multiple families.
It said: “Echo’s spark is fading. He has been here for many, many, MANY months and is rightfully stir crazy. Echo is 5 1/2 years old and originally came to us after his owner had a baby. He has done tons of meet and greets and we watch him get his hopes up, only to be put back into his kennel…again.
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“Every dog deserves a chance no matter how long it takes. Echo has stayed strong mentally and emotionally for us so we knew his time was coming. We’ll never give up on them! We will keep you all updated as we hear more! We know how much he means to so many people.”
“Our volunteers joke that Echo’s meet and greets should be two parts - indoor and outdoor. As soon as Echo sets foot in the grass, he enters “fetch mode” and wants to play ball for hours on end, and he doesn’t care about anything else.
“When he is indoors, Echo is much more attentive and affectionate. Echo needs to be the only animal in the home, but is manageable around other animals on walks and usually ignores them. We would love to find Echo a home without kids, but we welcome meet and greets with respectful teens. This dog is beautiful, smart, and active, and it’s so hard to watch him waste his days in a kennel."
