Blessed are those who get a second chance. Not every stray dog gets to have it.
A devastating number of stray dogs get put to sleep each year without a chance to start over again. In a lot of cases, those poor dogs actually had the potential of being someone’s valued family member.
Fortune has smiled upon Toro… a shelter resident that was almost written off. He didn’t cross the rainbow bridge like many of his cohabitants.
Toro got a new family – a new start in life, and he couldn’t be more grateful.
His pure-hearted reaction after his adoption process was finalized will touch you like no story has before.
Toro, The Hugger
Before Toro became “Toro, the Hugger”, he was Toro… the rescued pooch that was chained to a fence in front of an abandoned building.
Needless to say, he was in desperate need of a name change.
Things did change for Toro because along with his two buddies, he was rescued by the Hempstead Animal Shelter back in 2019.
At the time, Toro was six years old, and they assumed he was always an outside dog. Can you imagine: poor Toro never went inside for coziness and shelter!
When Toro first arrived at the shelter, he was too nervous and didn’t completely trust the hoomans trying to help him. But, soon enough, he proved to be a big softie and the rescuers earned his trust rather quickly.
There was no sign left of Toro’s shyness. The rescue pup soon became popular for one special trait: he was a big hugger and loved hugging everyone, everywhere.
One day, when he was playing outside with Melissa, his caregiver at the shelter, Toro came right up to her, pressed his chest onto hers, and gave her a big doggy hug.
He has been hugging people ever since.
What Happened With Toro?
It’s always difficult to have older dogs adopted, especially crossbreeds like Toro. He’s a Pitbull mix, and we all know the kind of prejudices Pitbulls have to face.
Poor Toro spent two years at the shelter, but he didn’t lose his hope. It wasn’t written in the stars for Toro to grow up in the shelter.
Toro was finally adopted in 2022!
He even sent everyone a message, so they would know he’s doing fine:
“Hi, friends! Thank you for all the love! I have been enjoying my new life, learning new routines, and enjoying long walks. I have seen a few deer, and I’m always very curious about them. My favorite thing so far is to sit in the back yard in the afternoon, roll around in the grass, and listen to the birds. I’m still decompressing, but I love it here, and my humans love me so much! I am very grateful to everyone at the shelter. The volunteers took care of me before finding my new home, and I am thankful to all of you who follow and show you care about me. Because of all of you, I now have a forever home!”
Of course, Toro gave everyone hugs as he left the shelter to be united with his new family.
This Pitbull mix is one unique puppy that the staff members at the Hempstead Animal Shelter will never forget.