Update: Since this story was first shared, Roxy has found a potential adopter and is now settling into her new home.
At Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach, a sweet senior dog named Roxy has developed a heartbreaking routine.
Every time someone walks past her kennel, she carefully picks up one of her beloved stuffed toys and proudly offers it through the bars, hoping for a little attention.
For weeks, though, most people kept walking.
“I haven’t seen a lot of people want to meet her yet,” Mara Gleason, a marketing and communications associate at the shelter, explained.
Roxy has spent nearly two months waiting for a family, making her one of the shelter’s longest residents.
Staff members believe part of the reason she’s been overlooked is because she resembles many of the larger bully breed mixes that often struggle to get adopted.
“We have a lot of dogs that look like her,” Gleason said, “and they’re often some of the sweetest dogs in the shelter.”
To the people who know her best, Roxy is impossible not to love.
“Everybody loves her,” Gleason said.
While the stuffed animals help Roxy catch visitors’ attention, the toys themselves aren’t actually what matters most to her. What she truly wants is companionship.
“She’s very social,” Gleason explained. “She does the thing with the toys to get attention. But once she’s with a person, all she wants is them. She’ll leave the toys behind.”
The 7-year-old pup adores belly rubs, back scratches, and simply being close to people.
Before arriving at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, Roxy had been staying at one of the shelter’s partner facilities — an underfunded rural animal control center in Florida. Very little is known about her past, including whether she ever had a stable home of her own.
“We really don’t know if she had all the comforts and cuddles dogs should have,” Gleason said.
Because Roxy is considered a senior dog, she’s part of the shelter’s “Grey Whisker Club,” a program dedicated to helping older pets find homes. During March, adoption fees for animals 7 years and older were waived in hopes of giving dogs like Roxy a better chance.
And thankfully, her story may finally be getting the happy ending she deserves.
After spending weeks patiently sharing her toys with strangers, Roxy has now caught the attention of a potential adopter and is beginning the transition into a new home.
For the shelter staff who fell in love with her long ago, the news feels especially meaningful.
“She is just so sweet with everybody she meets,” Gleason said. “She’s going to be a great companion.”
For more information about the adoption process, check out the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League website.
