It’s been a rough year for a three-year-old pit bull mix. Last July, his owner Shawn Jack was severely beaten and left for dead in a wooded area behind a grocery store in North Sydney, N.S.
Chico lived at the SPCA in Sydney after the attack and then spent some time at a doggy daycare in Porters Lake and with Jack’s family before being adopted in May. However, that placement did not work out and Chico was back in the care of the SPCA.
Four months later, he has been successfully placed with a new family.
“We recently adopted Chico out to a happy owner, so far so good,” says SPCA manager Monty Crawley. “Everything is going well. It seems like Chico has finally found his forever home.”
Chico’s match came down to the last minute. He was set to go to another shelter when his new family decided they wanted to take him on.
“He's a complicated dog. He's got a lot of problems, stemming from the way he grew up and life he lived. We wanted to make sure he would find the right home, he wouldn't just bounce back to us,” says animal care supervisor Hanna McIlveen.
Adopters are chosen based on the best fit for the dog and the adopter. In Chico's case, he needed someone who could give him attention around the clock.
“He was with Shawn Jack 24/7. He had never been alone. He had a lot of separation anxiety, which can result in property destruction and most people don't have the patience for that,” says McIlveen.
Staff at the SPCA say they receive daily updates on how Chico is enjoying life with his new owners.
“It's a retired couple, so they're home a lot. They were really conscientious about catering to his needs. They understand his problems and they were willing to work with him on that,” says McIlveen.
Chico’s new owners were recently left broken hearted when their German Sheppard mix passed away, giving both Chico and his new family the opportunity to form new bonds and overcome the loss of a loved one.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kyle Moore
