Overlooked shelter dog kept doing ‘happy dance.’ Then came good news — 675 miles away
A shelter dog with a “happy dance” kept being overlooked — until now.
Butch the pup had lived at a North Carolina shelter for more than a year, becoming its longest resident. But his luck took a turn after a McClatchy News story about him caught the eye of a family living 675 miles away.
“We had a couple reach out who lived in Schenectady, NY who lived in a home with no other pets and who fell in love with him after seeing a video of him,” Burlington Animal Services wrote Nov. 10 in a Facebook post. “After contacting us, we set the wheels in motion to get this sweet and deserving boy to them.”
The family took home Butch, ending a journey that started in January 2023. At the time, he arrived as a lost dog and was soon adopted. But he returned in September 2023 when his owner experienced homelessness, McClatchy News reported.
In the year that followed, Butch became known as a “friendly, affectionate” 5-year-old pup. He’s believed to have been overlooked due to his age and 60-pound frame.
“People tend to shy away from his size, so they never get to see him roll over for belly rubs or cuddle up close, which is all he really wants,” Sydney Herron, community engagement manager for Burlington Animal Services, told McClatchy News in an October email.
In recent days, Butch was seen struggling as the stress of shelter life took its toll on him. The shelter said he didn’t get up as often and started licking the glass in his room.
“It can be hard to watch Butch,” staff wrote Oct. 21 on Facebook. “This sweet, mature boy, who wants nothing more than for you to sit with him or take him out and throw tennis balls, shows so much excitement when he sees someone walk past. He does a tiny little happy dance. Sometimes the person visits with him. Sometimes they don’t. But in the end, Butch is left alone, waiting for the next person.”
Then, after more than 400 days of waiting, the shelter shared the heartwarming update that Butch was matched with the New York couple. A nonprofit organization called Pilots N Paws flew him to his new home, kicking off his next chapter, photos show.
“We are all so excited about Butch’s adoption,” Herron wrote in a Nov. 11 email. “Both volunteers and staff alike!”
Burlington is a roughly 20-mile drive east from Greensboro.
This story was originally published November 12, 2024 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Overlooked shelter dog kept doing ‘happy dance.’ Then came good news — 675 miles away."
