Pongo was just a young pup when the person he trusted most abandoned him.
His owner left him alone at an apartment without any goodbye.
Pongo struggled to understand what was happening. All he knew was that he missed his owner and wanted to be with them again.
The landlord found Pongo and brought him to Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, a shelter in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.
The shelter staff opened their hearts to the lonely pup, doing their best to comfort him and help him believe that better days were ahead.
Pongo Makes New Friends
The shelter team cared for Pongo, making sure he was taken on regular walks and given the love he lacked.
The three-year-old dog was very energetic and needed plenty of time outside.
Because of this, Danielle Baughman, a shelter volunteer and Pongo’s friend, takes him on outings.
Thanks to her, Pongo gets to enjoy the outdoors beyond the shelter and burn off some energy.
Baughman often brings him to the park and even lets him play with her cat at her home.
Recently, the generous volunteer took Pongo to a pool where he swam alongside his best friend, who had already been adopted.
Pongo shows his gratitude for all that the volunteer does.
After every outing, he kisses Baughman as a way of thanking her for the kindness she constantly gives.
Baughman often shares videos of the shelter dogs on TikTok to help increase their chances of adoption.
Moved by Pongo’s sweet thank-you gesture, Baugman posted a clip of him on her TikTok page.
“He always says thank you for our adventures,” the caption on the screen read.
In the clip, Pongo rests his head on Baughman’s shoulder and covers her face with kisses.
Who Will Be Pongo’s Forever Family
Pongo has been at the shelter for nearly two years. Although some have shown interest, he still hasn’t found his forever family.
Nights in the shelter kennel are very hard for him. Because he dislikes being alone at night, he climbs out of his kennel to seek other dogs for company.
For safety, the shelter had to build a special kennel just for him.
Pongo loves people, and when visitors approach, he gets very excited and starts jumping.
Baughman believes this eagerness scares people off because they think he jumps like this all the time, which isn’t true outside his kennel.
Though Pongo enjoys his day trips with his volunteer friend, he always has to return to his kennel.
He hopes to find a patient forever family willing to give him time to adjust over several weeks.
His perfect family would take him on adventures and keep him active.
Pongo continues to hope that his forever people will find him and give him the second chance at love he truly wants.