Chronic.
A dog who was adopted after spending 419 days in a shelter was sent back after one day.
Rusty, a German shepherd and Catahoula mix, was adopted by a family from the Humane Society of Central Texas last month, only to be returned a mere 24 hours later for being “too much work.”
The dog was surrendered to the charity by his original owner for being too “hyper.” He was fostered for two months before being sent to the rescue, where he remained until March this year.
PEOPLE reports that the rescue issued multiple statements about Rusty, saying that the dog was struggling to adapt in the rescue. “Over the next few months, Rusty became depressed and frustrated, causing him to act out in his kennel and be highly reactive toward other dogs,” they said.
The shelter enrolled Rusty in behavioural training as part of a new programme to encourage playdates among all dogs in their care, no matter their history. Rusty made incredible progress as part of the programme.
“Rusty was by far one of the superstars in the group, learning every command and paying close attention to his handler,” they said.
Last month, Rusty was adopted by a local couple. However, after finding his forever home, the dog was sadly returned to the shelter after just one day. The couple said he was “too much work.”
Rusty is now back at the shelter. It is not yet known whether anybody else has any interest in adopting the dog, but we truly hope that they do.
