Toro was found chained to a fence at an abandoned property last October and brought to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. His rescuers assumed he’d spent his entire life outside and anticipated it would take him some time to adjust to his new surroundings.
“He was really afraid and shut down when he first came in,” Melissa Fogarty, kennel and placement supervisor at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, told The Dodo. “He’s gotten acclimated to being around people he knows, but he’s still a little frightened in the shelter situation.”
Despite his anxieties, it was evident that Toro had a lot of love to share, and he soon demonstrated this by hugging his rescuers.
“When he first came in, I was probably one of the first people to take him out for a sociable walk,” Fogarty said. “Within 15 minutes of letting him loose in our side play yard, the embracing happened.” He just crawled up to me, climbed on my lap, and placed his chest on my chest… it escalated from there, and now he hugs all of his pals here.”
Toro is grateful to be at a place where he is protected and loved, even if the shelter still makes him nervous. He tells everyone of this every chance he gets.
“Every time he comes out of the kennel, his first instinct is to embrace the person who is walking him, and anyone else,” Fogarty explained.
Toro was adopted in January but was returned after a week and a half because the match was not right. He’s still looking for the ideal permanent home, where he can show his love for his family by hugging them every day.
Toro is looking for an adult-only home with a family that can provide him with plenty of structure and helps him continue his training. He’ll need to be crate-trained and taught the fundamentals of housekeeping, and he’ll do best as the only pet in his new home.
Toro is more than ready to find his right match after over a year of waiting, and his rescuers are baffled as to why such a sweet dog that loves to give hugs hasn’t been picked yet.
“I honestly believe he hasn’t been adopted because he’s a middle-aged pit mix residing in a municipal shelter with a high intake,” Fogarty said. “In this sea of dogs that don’t fare well in their kennels, he gets lost.”
Toro has so much love to give — and so many hugs to give — and he hopes to find his perfect family soon.