Dog Adopted but Has Returned to Shelter 11 Times. But Then They Finally Realize Why
By Mike-Ross
At one point in his life, a South Carolina dog couldn’t seem to find a stable home. Gumby, a white hound, was 7 years old at the time he kept running away from his rescue homes and back to the place that made him feel complete.
Two years ago, the Charleston Animal Society shared a bittersweet account of a dog they said had “Houdini” gifts. Gumby wasn’t like other canines, and no one at the shelter could quite understand his behavior.
The pup was first introduced to the organization as a stray in 2014. He was adopted by a loving human, but it only lasted three days before they brought him back to CAS.
The next adoption was a little longer, but not good enough. Gumby was with his second human for six days and then was right back at the shelter.
His third owner was forced to drop him off twice, but he wasn’t the only one leaving him at the shelter. Gumby was also returned to CAS on two separate occasions: one by an animal control officer and the other by a good Samaritan.
He had a bad habit of running away from his new forever homes, and it seemed like no one could handle his escape mentality. Yet, the shelter didn’t want to give up on him yet.
In 2015, Gumby was given three more chances, but he wouldn’t stop making his way back to CAS. His extensive track record showed that he had returned to the shelter 11 times since 2014.
That means, three times he was found on the streets and eight times he was returned by an adoptive parent. His seventh adoption, however, turned out to be a success.
Staff members finally decided to give up and keep him as their own. CAS had become Gumby’s official home, and “he rarely ever tried to escape while in their care.”
Maybe that’s where the pup wanted to be all along, and he seemed to fit right on in. The center’s Behavior Team Leader, Donya Satriale, recruited Gumby as her personal assistant.
He had a gift helping other pets with anxiety, and “seemed to have a natural ability to read the emotions of other dogs.” Additionally, Gumby has helped sheltered cats with bad eye conditions by being a blood donor.
A video posted by CAS in June 2016 stated: “We draw his blood every two weeks extract the white blood cells from his blood and administer to the kittens eyes! (Healing eye drops) The serum from his blood has healing properties!”
Finally, Gumby’s presence around the shelter had come in handy. He was no longer seen as an indecisive four-legged animal without a stable home, but a dog with a purpose and his chosen furever family.
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