New York Dog Finds Forever Home After Over 500 Days in Shelter

Imagine a day in the shelter, waiting to meet your forever family, seeing your friends come and go quicker than you. Imagine that day over and over again for more than 500 days. That's no longer the reality for a sweet pup named Joey, who, until earlier this week, has been calling the Niagara County SPCA his home.

Earlier this month, the SPCA shared Joey's photo in hopes of finding someone willing to bring him in as a new member of the family.

Joey's big day came on Wednesday, when an amazing couple signed the paperwork and officially brought him home as their own. The Niagara County SPCA shared Joey's sendoff on its TikTok account, and before you press play, make sure you grab some tissues.... You WILL cry from overwhelming happiness.

The shelter staff that made Joey's long stay so wonderful got to say goodbye with treats and Hawaiian leis for the good boy, and he made sure to return the favor with plenty of kisses. You can already tell he's going to have the best life with his new family because his dad carried him to the car like a baby. How sweet!

The SPCA's videos of Joey have garnered a lot of attention on TikTok in recent months. In one video, volunteers from the shelter take a trip to pick up some special toys for Joey, all of which were funded through donations from TikTok users.

He certainly seemed to love his new toys and treats!

Although Joey was in great hands with the folks at the Niagara County SPCA and he was able to stay there as long as he needed, everyone wanted to see him find a family to call his own. It seems like Joey was hoping for that too....

Joey was looking for a home without other animals or small kids, and although that limited his options, the Niagara County SPCA has experience with dogs in similar circumstances. Just last December, a dog named Bonita got the Christmas gift of a lifetime when she was finally adopted after over 500 days at the SPCA. The video of her leaving the shelter with her new owners even went viral because she was so excited!

Joey's off to his forever home and ready to make a lifetime of great memories with his new owners, but there are still plenty of other pups at the Niagara County SPCA waiting for a family. You can check out the shelter's available dogs on its website, and if you think you'd be a good match for one of them, reach out to the Niagara County SPCA by phone at 716-731-4368 or by email at frontdesk@niagaraspca.org.