REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- After 1,007 days in the shelter, four-year-old Tessy, a black lab mix, has finally found her forever home.
Humane Animal Partners (HAP), brought Tessy into their care after she was relocated from multiple shelters in Texas due to overpopulation. HAP says upon her initial arrival, Tessy was social and outgoing with everyone she met. However, as time began to pass, the stress of the shelter environment grew to be more than she could handle.
Tessy received hundreds of applications, but exhibited fear-reactive behaviors in the shelter, including lunging, barking, and growling at unknown people. While in HAP’s care, Tessy was provided behavioral support, increased daily enrichment, and her own kennel, complete with custom curtains and sound-proofing installations to help lower her stress levels.
After two-and-a-half years in the shelter, HAP says Jeanine Walker-Porter and Jeff Bush learned about Tessy and wanted to give her a chance. The couple visited HAP multiple times to ensure Tessy was comfortable with them. On October 20, they made it official and adopted Tessy.
“As I am writing this she is lying across my feet…she is always by our side. She loves to sit between the two of us,” says Jeanine Walker-Porter, Tessy’s adopter. Walker-Porter continues, “During the night she comes and gives us kisses. They usually start around 1:00 a.m. and go on till about 5 a.m. She starts with me then goes over to Jeff's side and kisses him then goes back to her bed. I think she does this to make sure we are still here. We love her and are so happy she is ours.”
Those interested in adopting dogs like Tessy can visit humaneanimalpartners.org to browse all cats and dogs currently available, or stop by any of HAP’s adoption center locations in Wilmington, Stanton/Christiana, and Rehoboth Beach. All potential adopters complete an adoption questionnaire to ensure HAP’s adoption coordinators are able to help make the best match possible for humans and pets. All animals from HAP are spayed/neutered, microchipped, given age-appropriate vaccines and preventatives, and examined by a vet prior to adoption.