Senior dog returned to NC shelter twice. He ‘deserves to grow old on a couch'
A senior dog has been in and out of a shelter since 2017 — and he needs another new home.
'He deserves to grow old on a couch, not a concrete floor,' a North Carolina animal shelter wrote June 23 in a Facebook post. 'Please, help us find him a home to finally call his last.'
Ace waits for a new owner after he first arrived at the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society eight years ago. The shelter in an online adoption profile didn't reveal how the dog first ended up in its care but said he has had his 'ups and downs.'
'He's been adopted twice … and returned twice,' the shelter wrote. 'The first time, animal control brought him back after finding him tethered in a backyard, neglected and alone. The second time, his adopters gave him up because they were having a baby and 'couldn't take any chances.''
After his latest return, Ace has struggled in the shelter environment.
'He pants constantly in his kennel and can't settle, so we bring him into our manager's office just so he can get a break from the stress,' the animal organization wrote. 'He melts for gentle attention.'
Ace is described as a 10-year-old mixed-breed pup who has never shown signs of aggression. He loves to cuddle but sometimes wants to play fetch to 'bring him back to his younger years.'
'Ace is a gentle and loyal dog who still greets people with hope in his eyes,' a shelter worker told McClatchy News via email. 'Truly, I'm not sure how he still has trust and affection still for humans. He's smart, treat-motivated, and happiest when he's near his people whether that's lounging by your feet or enjoying a slow walk outside.'
As of June 25, Ace was still up for adoption. Details about the shelter's adoption process can be found at fapspet.org.
'Ace's ideal home wouldn't have any other pets, just a calm space where he can finally rest,' the shelter worker wrote. 'He'd love a soft place to lay, a yard to nap in the sun and maybe romp around a bit, and a lap to rest his head and get scratches. After everything he's been through, he's simply looking for peace, comfort, and a person to love him through his golden years.'
Fayetteville is a roughly 65-mile drive south from Raleigh.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Senior dog went missing on own Missouri property. He was found — 200 miles away
When a senior dog failed to come home after his daily routine of walking the property in Missouri, his owner was worried. It was normal when Lisa Wood's three dogs, Ruben, Manny and Captain, would spend the day exploring her family's property in West Plains, only when the dogs returned this May evening, the trio was down one. The 13-year-old Captain. 'Lisa started searching for Captain and posting on local Facebook groups to find out if he'd been spotted,' a June 25 news release from Best Friends Animal Society detailed about the night Captain went missing. 'Due to Captain's arthritis, Lisa knew he couldn't get far on his own, so she was shocked to get a call that Sunday from a shelter in Bentonville, AR — more than 200 miles from her home in Missouri.' Turns out, Captain was mistaken for a lost dog by a traveler and picked him up. 'Captain had been brought into the shelter by a woman who had been traveling in Missouri and thought she had found a lost dog. Luckily, Captain was microchipped years before, so the shelter was able to scan his microchip and connect with Lisa quickly,' the release said. Wood wasn't able to make the full five-hour drive to pick up Captain, so she looked to Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization, to help her out. 'When Best Friends got the call, they quickly jumped into action. That same day, Dani Rakestraw, Specialist, Training and Behavior at Best Friends jumped in the van and drove Captain to Branson, MO —halfway between Bentonville and West Plains — to reunite with Lisa,' the release described. Then came the happy reunion. 'Captain is an absolute joy,' Wood said. 'We've had him since he was just a few months old, and he's just the smartest dog. He's really part of the family — he loves my kids, and he even helps me teach and train the other dogs.' West Plains is about a 205-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Dog 'Broken Out' of Animal Shelter After 730 Days—Her Reaction Says It All
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dog's two-year journey of living in the animal shelter finally came to an end after she was "broken out" and placed in a foster home. Waffles first arrived at an animal shelter 730 days ago, when she was about a year and a half old. She came in with her daughter after managing to escape a backyard breeder in the area, the shelter told foster parent Alyssa. Her pup has since been adopted, Alyssa told Newsweek. After two years, Waffles finally received a break from the loud, chaotic shelter environment thanks to Alyssa, also known as Reddit user u/dogluvr_1, who decided to foster her after seeing a Facebook post about the dog on June 25. Alyssa shared photos in yesterday's Reddit post on the subreddit r/velvethippos of the journey home with Waffles and her newfound freedom after leaving the shelter. The large dog happily sat in the back seat of the car. Every picture showed a smile plastered on her face. Waffles has been showered with endless toys and a very deserved pup cup since being picked up. In one photo, Waffles comfortably sat on a dog bed with all her new toys surrounding her. Screenshot from a June 23 Reddit post about a dog breaking out of an animal shelter after 730 days thanks to a foster parent stepping in. Screenshot from a June 23 Reddit post about a dog breaking out of an animal shelter after 730 days thanks to a foster parent stepping in. dogluvr_1/Reddit "She has been loving the backyard and all the toys and has been exploring the little doggy pool," Alyssa said. "She does love to jump with all fours off the ground when we have her toys to throw." Alyssa said that Waffles' new doggy siblings, Boba and Bambi, have been "very welcoming." So far, there have been "no problems" between the dogs. They've all been exchanging cuddles in the owner's king-sized bed. While Waffles is currently being fostered, Alyssa hopes she'll stay permanently. "We are considering adopting her; we just want to give her some more time to adjust and make sure everything is good with the dogs," she told Newsweek. "I just can't imagine how a dog-friendly, people-friendly dog who knows commands sat there without a family for that long." Reddit flooded the comment section with their congratulations. The post reached over 4,200 upvotes and 80 comments as of Wednesday. "So happy to see this. Thanks for giving waffles a chance. And thanks to the shelter for never giving up on him," wrote one Redditor. "Yay for sweet Waffles!!! It looks like they are already fitting in with the family!" another commenter said. A third person commented: "The bestest smile on the most patient of pibbles!!! Lots of love to Waffles." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Gulf World Marine Park in crisis: Dolphins relocated amid scandal and bankruptcy fallout
All of the dolphins have now been relocated from Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida to other facilities. So what's happening now? Five dolphin deaths in less than a year, scathing inspection reports, public outcry, and footage released of green water with algae in the dolphin tanks led political leaders and government officials to work swiftly in getting the dolphins out of the park. A chaotic bankruptcy on behalf of the park's owners at The Dolphin Company, operated in Cancun, Mexico, led to delays with the relocation. Animal advocates and government officials partly won, with four of the dolphins being moved to a facility not owned by The Dolphin Company, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida. The remaining seven were moved to facilities owned by the company, with four going to Marineland Dolphin Adventure near St. Augustine and three going to Dolphin Connection in Duck Key. Marineland had three non-critical compliance issues relating to its facility in its April 2025 report, but another report from May doesn't show any noncompliant items. U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn previously told WJHG that his office was not happy when it learned that Marineland was owned by the same company, so they tried to pump the brakes, leading to further delays. Animal advocates were also unhappy with the move. Activist group TideBreakers released footage of Marineland, claiming that the facilities are inadequate and the conditions are poor. "When the 13 dolphins at Marineland aren't working, they're kept in filthy, cramped, concrete tanks with no protection from the Florida sun," the activists wrote in a Facebook post. "Swimming in circles all day, waiting for their turn to entertain tourists, just a few feet away from the ocean. Some in complete isolation." Theme park earnings: New report finds Disneyland, Disney World contribute $67B to US economy There's a petition floating around asking Congress to confiscate the company's dolphins. Organizers also are demanding oversight from regulatory agencies. The Dolphin Company is under a criminal investigation in the state of Florida amid its drawn-out bankruptcy proceedings in Delaware that reportedly included an armed takeover of its Cancun headquarters. New management acknowledged in a press release that Gulf World had been neglected over the years. It was revealed in a bankruptcy proceeding recording that the fifth dolphin to die, Samira, was showing signs of distress nearly a month prior to her death. Communication hurdles that could be tied to the bankruptcy were said to have led to her not getting care that could've been provided by Riveron, the restructuring company working on the bankruptcy case. The Key Biscayne Independent reported that the former CEO of The Dolphin Company, Eduardo Albor, was found to be in contempt of court on June 5. The judge said that Albor was interfering with the new management of the company. 'We lost a dolphin, and I don't want my delay to create that situation again,' the judge said at a June 2 hearing, according to the Independent. 'Samira, to the extent we could have saved her because of communication, it's on all of us." The reporting notes that the new management asked to hire a firm to split up the subsidiary companies running the parks and start the auction process. Debtors had apparently done an initial review and put the various parks and properties into "going concern" and "real estate" categories. Gulf World was no longer categorized as a "going concern," and they would find an alternative use for the property, according to the Independent. First Coast News reported that State Attorney Larry Basford had told them the dolphins are better off in Marineland, which is under new management because of the bankruptcy proceedings. Basford told them that part of the bankruptcy process is disposing of assets, and the dolphins were assets. Basford told the news station that The Dolphin Company didn't have money to maintain Gulf World or conduct needed repairs. A June 16 release from the company says that the relocated dolphins are eating, attentive, and acclimating well to their new homes. The park remains closed until further notice. As for what happens now, Rep. Dunn had previously said once the dolphins were taken care of, they would move on to help the other animals in the facility.
