We have another “rough start with a happy outcome” story this week. I love that last part! Many of you will remember Onyx, the abused black pittie who turned up starving and dehydrated at a Rescue Ranch volunteer’s door. I’ve recounted his story in a previous article, but, suffice to say, Onyx was near death because of the abuse and neglect he had endured. Over two years later, Onyx has finally found a wonderful new family!
No one was interested in a senior, special-needs pittie
Onyx arrived in the spring of 2021, but Animal Control didn’t officially transfer him to Rescue Ranch until May 2022 because of pending litigation against his owners. By then, he was healthy, neutered, and ready to go home. But, at eight years old, Onyx was a senior. He was also technically “special needs” because he requires a daily B12 supplement. As far a special needs go, that’s pretty low maintenance, but it further reduced his adoptability. No matter how hard we tried, no one gave him a second glance.
He’s such a likeable dog, seeing him get overlooked time and again was heartbreaking. Eventually, he moved to the more relaxed environment of the Sanctuary.
Despite his past, Onyx loves people (and his Kong and his ball). He enjoys his toys, cuddling, and going for car rides. On a recent day trip to Greenhorn Park, he even took a dip in the lake!
All he needed was a new family and a real home. But he’s now nine years old, and we were losing hope. Then, it happened…
New family turns up just as we were losing hope
Jennifer and her family read about Onyx on our website. They just had to meet him.
It was love at first sight. Onyx flopped at their feet, and they knew. Jennifer’s husband had been hesitant because of the loss of their own beloved special-needs pittie some months before. His doubts evaporated in that moment: Onyx would be the new family dog.
Jennifer is a compassionate, natural caregiver who works with youth. They’ve always had black pitties in the family and were experienced with special-needs dogs. She tearfully told Rachel that she knew he was well cared for, but she didn’t want him to spend one more night at the Adoption Center. She just wanted to give him the best life possible as soon as possible. So did we, but Rachel needed the application and home photos before she could let him go.
She didn’t wait long: all materials arrived in short order. After reviewing them, Rachel was happy to call Jennifer the very next day with the good news: Onyx was theirs.
AliCarmen gave Onyx a bath for his big day.
The whole family came to pick him up. When they were ready to leave, Onyx leapt into the car. There wasn’t a dry eye at the Adoption Center.
They were obviously the family he’d been waiting for. Onyx knew he was finally home.
