When Prince initially came to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society shelter in New York, he was shivering, a quivering ball of worry. Prince used to be someone’s pet, but he moved in with his owner’s girlfriend when his owner could no longer care for him. This, as well, did not last long. Prince, a 2-year-old pit bull, slipped his leash and went away one day while walking with his girlfriend, and no one knew where he was until animal control found him and sent him to the shelter in April.
When the shelter staff contacted Prince’s girlfriend, she initially indicated that she would pick him up and return him to her home. Since she failed to show up, Prince has remained at the shelter. Perhaps Prince’s apprehension originated from his tumultuous past. Perhaps he was having problems adjusting to his new surroundings. Prince appeared to be terrified by whatever it was.
“He took a long time to warm up to us,” Nancy Haynes, director of behavior and enrichment at Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, told The Dodo. “As you got closer to his kennel, he shrank and shivered at the back.” “He’d spend much of his time curled up in a ball in the back of his kennel.” Prince felt more at peace in the shelter once the shelter workers learned something: he liked being tucked in before the shelter staff went home at night.
“One of the staff members in the kennel was just snuggling with him… I realized, ‘Oh, he enjoys this,’ when he leaped up on the bed and a staff member simply wrapped a blanket around him.’ Haynes explained, “It makes him feel at ease.” When word came around the office, everyone was tucking Prince up for the night.
“It’s just become a thing with him,” Haynes continued. “He usually waits until his kennel is reached by someone performing their rounds before going into his bed… If you join him inside the kennel, he’ll get up onto the bed and snuggle up to you.”
Prince enjoys spending time with others as much as he appreciates his midnight ritual. “Snuggles are his absolute favorite thing,” Haynes added. “That’s all he cares about.” When you walk inside his kennel with him, he kisses your face, and when you scratch his buttocks, he moans and grunts. It’s pure bliss for him.”
On the other hand, Prince is yet to find a new home. “Because he doesn’t show well in his cage,” she continued, “he might bark and respond if someone he doesn’t know approaches his kennel.” “However, because he’s been getting so much one-on-one care, his responsiveness has decreased considerably.”
Employees at the shelter are hoping that now that Prince is gaining confidence, he will get his big break and find the perfect home soon. According to Haynes, Prince would thrive in a household without other pets.