01-07-2025
'Hearts Break a Little' Over Face of Shelter Dog Waiting 7 Months for Home
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A dog that has been waiting for a home for more than seven months is still waiting patiently for a family to call his own.
Picked up as a stray over seven months ago, Cabbage holds the title of the longest resident at Tift County Animal Shelter in Georgia.
Despite his affectionate nature and goofy charm, no one ever came to reclaim him—and no one has shown any interest in him since.
"He is goofy, loving, and wonderful with people," Candice Hernandez, rescue coordinator at Tift County Animal Shelter and cofounder of Tift Animal Rescue, told Newsweek.
Around three years old, Cabbage is described as a "mixed breed sweetheart," and despite capturing hearts on Facebook after rescue workers shared: "Our hearts break a little more each day he waits."
Users on Facebook described him as "precious," "handsome," and a "beautiful boy," yet nobody has come forward to help him yet.
Shelter volunteers describe him as a gentle companion who gets along well with other dogs, though they always encourage adopters to bring their own pets for a meet-and-greet. Like many larger dogs in a sea of hopeful eyes and wagging tails, Cabbage often gets overlooked.
Pictures of Cabbage the dog, who is still waiting for a home after over 7 months in the shelter.
Pictures of Cabbage the dog, who is still waiting for a home after over 7 months in the shelter.
Tift Animal Rescue
"What he really wants is to be part of a family," said Hernandez. "A place to stretch out, get some treats, and just be loved for who he is."
In 2024, approximately 7 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues, according to Shelter Animals Count—an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2023. By the end of the year, 103,000 more pets had entered shelters than had exited, contributing to an ongoing capacity crisis in U.S. shelters.
Around 748,000 animals experienced non-live outcomes, including euthanasia, death in care, and being lost in care, in 2024. While this represents a 1.6 percent decrease compared to 2023 and a 20 percent drop from 2019, the number remains high. Dogs made up a growing share of these outcomes, with euthanasia rates rising to 9 percent, compared to 7 percent in 2019.
For Hernandez and co-founder of Tift Animal Rescue Leah Robbins, telling stories like Cabbage's is both a calling and a challenge. As full-time workers and parents who volunteer their time, they do everything they can to market adoptable dogs. But resources are limited, and there's never enough time.
Cabbage is by far from the only dog who has been left waiting for a home in a shelter. Earlier this month a dog was cheered out of the shelter when she finally found a home after over 640 days.
While another dog is still waiting in his kennel after over 770 days. Suffering "severe kennel stress," Usopp is struggling to find a home while waiting in the South Florida-based shelter.
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