When an abandoned dog named Ginger arrived at Dogwood Animal Shelter in Missouri, she, just like any other dog, hoped to be out of there in no time.
However, as her past left quite a big scar on her, finding a forever home would end up being harder than she thought.
Ginger had trouble trusting people and was very anxious, and since nobody wanted to give her the patience and love she needed, all that she could do was wait and hope that that would soon change.
Unfortunately, “soon” turned out to be far away.
At The Shelter
She arrived at the shelter in 2013 and, for the next seven years, Ginger was patiently waiting in the Missouri shelter, hoping somebody would notice her adorable face. However, adopters would just pass by her, failing to acknowledge the good girl she truly was.
With all that time passed, this once youthful dog became a senior whose chocolate fur was now painted white and gray.
Other than the changes in her appearance, Ginger’s life remained the same.
This now senior pup slowly started to lose hope, thinking that she would never have a family of her own.
However, in 2020, Scott Poore, the shelter pet advocate of Mission Driven, heard about Ginger and her situation and decided that she needed to do something to change the fate of this adorable pup.
“It absolutely broke my heart, so I stopped what I was doing and dedicated all of my time to her. I started telling her story to anyone that would listen,” Poore told The Dodo.
After spending a big part of her life in a Missouri shelter, Ginger’s luck finally changed.
New Life
Thanks to the exposure brought by Poore, Ginger’s kennel finally had some visitors.
Among them was Beth – a hooman who decided that this puppy deserved to live out the rest of her years in the best way possible.
Coming home with Beth restored the hope Ginger lost while spending all that time in the shelter. She completely came out of her shell and showed everybody that there was still a puppy’s energy inside her.
“100 percent, there was a transformation. She was very skittish and protective [at first]. Now she will walk into a new environment with her head held high. Seeing her jump on a bed or walk on floors and be able to be a dog was amazing to see. She’s not this fragile shelter dog anymore. She knows her name and she stands bold with it,” Beth told The Dodo.
For some dogs, life takes a bit longer to begin. Ginger’s life truly began when she was ten years old.
Ginger is now a 13-year-old dog who, even though she faces some health issues, loves life and enjoys every passing day.
However, Ginger isn’t the only one whose life changed when she was adopted.
Before Ginger came into her life, Beth was an anxious young adult who was doing her best to take control of her life. Now, Beth is married, a homeowner, and has a very successful career.
“Ginger and I have definitely grown together. I feel like when I got her, we were both kids entering adulthood together. I think the most important thing Ginger taught me is that it’s okay to start over … that no matter what life gives you, there’s a better tomorrow — you can’t grow in the same place that broke you. We are thriving together now,” Beth said.
Final Word
Unfortunately, Ginger is just one out of countless dogs who are unlucky enough to spend the majority of their life in a shelter.
I hope that just like Ginger, all of them will have their life completely transformed by a hooman who is able to see their true potential and give them the house that they deserve.
That hooman can be you! Please head down to your local shelter and bring a smile to a pup’s face by offering them a life worth living.
“I want to challenge more people to adopt the ‘unadoptable’ or long-term animal and give them a second chance to love and live,” Beth concluded.