
When Ginger first arrived at Dogwood Animal Shelter in Missouri back in 2013, she was just a young dog — abandoned, confused, and scared. The trauma of her early life lingered, leaving her anxious and slow to trust.
To some people, that made her unadoptable.
So Ginger waited.
And waited.
And waited.

Days turned into months. Months into years. From her kennel, Ginger would quietly watch families walk past her enclosure, smiling at other dogs — younger, friendlier, easier — while she was left behind again and again.
By the time seven years had passed, the once-spry brown dog had grown old. Her muzzle had faded to gray, and the spark in her eyes had dimmed. But her life hadn’t changed. The shelter had become her entire world.

It might have stayed that way forever — until someone finally noticed her story.
In 2020, Scott Poore, an animal advocate from Mission Driven, learned about Ginger’s years-long wait and couldn’t look away.
“It absolutely broke my heart,” Poore told The Dodo. “So I stopped what I was doing and dedicated all of my time to her. I started telling her story to anyone who would listen.”
For the first time in seven long years, Ginger had a voice. And everything began to change.

As Poore’s posts spread, messages of support and adoption offers poured in. One of those messages came from Beth — a woman who saw something in Ginger that others had overlooked.
Beth decided to give the senior dog a chance.

When Ginger first arrived home, she was timid and wary, uncertain how to live outside the shelter walls. But love — slow, patient love — began to heal her.

“100 percent, there was a transformation,” Beth said. “She was very skittish and protective at first. Now she walks into a new environment with her head held high. Seeing her jump on a bed or walk across the floor and just be a dog was amazing. She’s not this fragile shelter dog anymore. She knows her name — and she stands bold with it.”

At ten years old, Ginger’s life truly began.
Now 13, she faces the challenges that come with age — but she’s living every day with joy, playfulness, and peace. She finally got what she had been waiting for all those years: a home, and someone to love her.
“She’s an old girl,” Beth said, smiling, “but very puppy-like nowadays.”

Ginger’s transformation also changed Beth’s life. When she adopted Ginger, Beth was a young adult struggling with anxiety and uncertainty. Over the years, both have grown stronger — together.
“Ginger and I have definitely grown together,” Beth said. “When I got her, we were both kids entering adulthood. The most important thing she’s taught me is that it’s okay to start over — that no matter what life gives you, there’s always a better tomorrow. You can’t grow in the same place that broke you. We’re thriving together now.”

Sadly, Ginger’s story isn’t unique. Across the country, countless dogs are still waiting — aging in shelters, overlooked because they’re shy, scared, or simply older.
Just as Ginger’s life transformed, there remains hope that the lives of other shelter pets can, too.
Ginger’s smiling face and happy ending is proof that hope is never lost.

But it’s not something they can do alone.
“I want to challenge more people to adopt the ‘unadoptable’ or long-term animals,” Beth said. “Give them that second chance to love and live.”
Because sometimes, the ones who’ve been waiting the longest have the most love to give.
