Confused shelter dog thinks cars pulling up are his family. But he still needs a home

Simone Jasper
·2 min read
6

A dog was surrendered after living with his owners for 10 years, leaving him confused and refusing to eat, a North Carolina shelter said.

“Every time a car would pull up in our driveway, he would be looking aggressively to try to get to that vehicle thinking it was his people coming back,” Judy Sims, executive director of the Humane Society of Concord & Greater Cabarrus County, told McClatchy News in a March 6 phone interview. “We see this so often when people surrender their animals.”

Now, Chico is in need of a new owner. The 10-year-old pup — believed to be a Chihuahua — is described as laid back and forms strong bonds with some people.

“He is going to be an awesome dog for somebody who is going to take some time, a few minutes, to get to know him and his personality,” Sims said.

Chico’s journey at the humane society started after he came from a facility in South Carolina. His family had surrendered him, reportedly saying they still had trouble potty-training him after 10 years.

The North Carolina shelter said Chico’s kennel has been clean since he arrived at the shelter. But he was scared and wouldn’t eat after losing his longtime home.

“Chico is a guy that needs to build trust to feel safe, and we don’t blame him due to what he’s been through,” the shelter wrote in an online adoption profile. “Chico would love nothing more than a lap to snuggle up on all day.”

As of March 6, the dog was still up for adoption. The shelter said Chico may do best in a home that doesn’t have young children or other pets.

“A mature, low traffic home that has plenty of free time and love to give to him would be ideal,” the humane society wrote in a Facebook post.

The shelter is in Concord, roughly a 25-mile drive northeast from Charlotte. Anyone interested in meeting Chico can call 704-784-7387.

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