Shy shelter dog with a fear of strangers needs a home. ‘Please be patient with me’
A shy dog is scared of strangers — and he needs a patient new owner.
“I just want a second chance,” a Florida animal shelter said in a video caption written from the perspective of Yogi the dog. “Please be patient with me. I promise I’m worth it.”
Yogi is up for adoption more than 700 days after arriving at Humane Society Naples. He was surrendered in 2022 when his previous owner was moving and couldn’t find a place where they both could live, the shelter wrote in Facebook posts and an email to McClatchy News.
“His owner reported they had Yogi since he was a puppy,” a shelter spokesperson wrote in the July 22 email. “They said he was very active and enjoyed the company of other dogs but he was afraid of strangers.”
Now, more than two years later, Yogi continues to be timid around people he doesn’t know. The humane society wants Yogi’s adopter to slowly introduce themselves or visit the shelter multiple times so he grows comfortable.
“Once you become someone he trusts, you will become another one of his favorites,” the shelter wrote. “His bond with trusted people is unbreakable.”
Yogi is described as a “silly” 75-pound dog who loves swimming and rolling around. The 4-year-old mixed-breed pup also is a big fan of treats, the shelter wrote in its email and online posts.
“Many people overlook Yogi due to his rough past and intimidating appearance, but he deserves a second chance just as much as any other dog,” the shelter wrote, adding that the pup is “desperately looking for the right family.”
As of July 22, Yogi was still available for adoption at the shelter in Naples, a roughly 165-mile drive south from Tampa. More details about the animal organization’s adoption process can be found at hsnaples.org.
This story was originally published July 22, 2024 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Shy shelter dog with a fear of strangers needs a home. ‘Please be patient with me’."
