Ginger was anxious and slow to trust — qualities that, in the eyes of some, deemed her “unadoptable.”
For the better part of a decade, Ginger continued to wait — peering out from her cold kennel as potential adopters passed her by, opting to take home other dogs considered more desirable than her.
But sadly, beyond that, little else in Ginger’s life had changed.
Ginger may have resigned herself to the sad realities of shelter life, any hope of something better having faded from her mind. But she hadn’t yet been forgotten.
And soon, everything began to change.
With that added exposure, bringing new eyes to Ginger’s years-long situation, people began to reach out with offers of hope to the pup. Hope she had lost.
At home with Beth, feeling new feelings of safety, love and security, Ginger emerged slowly from her shell — the only life she’d ever known. And with each milestone step along the way, she never looked back.
“100 percent, there was a transformation,” Beth told The Dodo. “She was very skittish and protective [at first]. Now she will walk into a new environment with her head held high. Seeing her jump on a bed or walk on floors and be able to be a dog was amazing to see. She’s not this fragile shelter dog anymore. She knows her name and she stands bold with it.”
In some ways, life began for Ginger at the ripe old age of 10 — and she knows it.
Ginger is now 13 years old, facing some health issues as many pups her age do. But those many years she spent at the shelter don’t seem to put a damper on the time she has left. She’d been waiting for this.
Ginger’s world had changed immeasurably for the better — and in the act of changing it, Beth’s had too.
Beth had been a young adult navigating life with anxiety when Ginger was adopted. Now, Beth is married, a homeowner and has a successful career.
Sadly, Ginger is far from the only dog who’s lost months and years of peace and happiness sitting in an animal shelter, waiting for that second chance — in fact, countless pups are doing that still.
“I want to challenge more people to adopt the ‘unadoptable’ or long-term animal and give them a second chance to love and live,” Beth said.