Alvin, chewing on his own leash in one of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s play yards.
There’s nothing more heartbreaking in the animal rescue world than a return. The pain an orphan pet must feel when they’re given what they thought was a loving home, only to be judged as not good enough and returned to the shelter where they spend their days. A beautiful shepherd-husky blend named Alvin experienced this pain – four times.
What crimes could this sweet boy have possibly committed to justify being relinquished so many times? He didn’t know how to express all the love he had to give.
Huskies and Shepherds are known as more advanced dog breeds. They tend to have a lot of joyful energy and require lots of playtime with their humans or other dogs. If a shepherd or husky is left neglected, they can be a little destructive. They might chew on shoes, dig at the carpet, or find themselves getting involved in general mischief.
We can only guess that Alvin’s previous owners weren’t ready for the sort of commitment required to own one of these dogs.
After getting returned for the fourth time, Alvin spent three months waiting for his perfect home at Helen Woodward Animal Center. Despite suffering the pain of abandonment, he kept a cheerful demeanor. He’d perk up whenever someone would come by his kennel tail wagging with tentative excitement. The Center’s Animal Care Technicians all said he was a treat to take on walks, and he always played well with the other dogs in the yard. When a human would join Alvin in the yard, he would shower them in love and affection before running off to chase the toy the human threw.
Regardless of all these positive traits, nobody seemed to want the nine-month-old shepherd-husky blend.
Then Akshay came along.
Akshay had his eyes on Alvin for months. He had come to the Center previously to add the sweet boy to his husky pack at home. Only, that was the day Alvin went to his previous “forever” home. The husky enthusiast went home empty-handed, resigning that he’d probably never see Alvin again.
But then, months later, the Center’s media team made Alvin the Pet of the Week. They posted his fluffy face to Instagram where Akshay saw the sweet boy was available once again. Within the week he came down to the Center determined to not let Alvin slip away again. The Center’s adoption staff reviewed Akshay’s application and realized he was the dog dad Alvin had been looking for all this time. They finalized the paperwork, and the sweet shepherd-husky blend found his way to his true forever home.
Alvin — now Enzo — and his new dad Akshay
Alvin living his best life at the 2023 Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon