Dog finds his fur-ever home after spending 628 days at shelter
After 628 days in the shelter, one dog has finally found his fur-ever home.
Sarge, a black German shepherd pitbull mix, had been waiting to be adopted at Foothills Animal Rescue in Scottsdale, Arizona, for nearly two years, said Melissa Gable, the center's director of community engagement.
"It was difficult to see him go because when they're with you for that long, you get attached," Gable told "Good Morning America." "But it was bittersweet because we saw what a great home he was going to."
Gable explained that Sarge came to Foothills Animal Rescue from another shelter. An adoption guarantee shelter, animals remain at Foothills until they find a home.
Gable explained that one of the reasons why he wasn't adopted right away was because he was so big and described as a little unruly. But when the coronavirus pandemic forced the shelter to shut their doors to the general public in March, that also factored into the delay in Sarge's adoption process.
"A lot of people didn't want to see Sarge," said Gable. "I think if it had been people that were walking through the shelter and maybe they saw him and how cute he was in his room, maybe he would have had a better chance."
But when Paul Neuberger and his girlfriend, Dezeree Solomon, learned about Sarge on the shelter's website, they instantly fell in love with him and had to meet him right away.
"He's the only dog we went to go see," said Neuberger. "We just saw him and within five minutes we would have taken him right then and there."
Neuberger and Solomon, who lost their previous dog to cancer just days before adopting Sarge, said that he reminded them of their 95-pound mastiff pitbull mix.
"When I read [Sarge's] bio online, it was like talking about our dog [Levi]," said Neuberger.
Sarge's adoption was made official on Jan. 2 in a socially distanced send-off by the shelter. The staff, Neuberger and Solomon gathered to help the pup say goodbye to his home.
"We never ever thought about giving up on him," said Gable. "That was not an option. It was, 'He will be with us until he finds a home.'"
Neuberger and Solomon said Sarge is adjusting comfortably to his new home.
"He's laying in bed under covers and blankets already. He's just a big teddy bear," said Neuberger. "He's a dream to us."
The couple has started an Instagram page to document all of Sarge's new adventures.
