Shelter’s longest resident finally gets adopted after 420 days: “The moment we’ve all been waiting for”

All shelter dogs dream of finding their forever home, but it takes some longer than others. Many dogs are passed over again and again through no fault of their own, and some even have the sad distinction of being their shelter’s longest resident.

That was the case for one dog named Faya, who spent over a year in a shelter waiting for someone to love her — but now, her wait is finally over.

Faya, a female mixed breed, was taken in by the Humane Society of Scott County, in Iowa, on April 23, 2023, according to her adoption page.

She quickly became a favorite of the staff, who described her as a “rock star” and a “crown jewel.”

“She is gorgeous and ever so lovely!” the shelter wrote. “She has the most beautiful soft brown eyes, a striking colorful coat and the cutest flop over ears. She is hands down one of our favorites.”

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Facebook/Humane Society of Scott County

“She is wonderful with our staff and we love her to pieces but she deserves a place to call her own-the queen of her castle!”

But Faya needed to be in a home with no other dogs or small children, preferring a relaxed adults-only home, which limited her potential adopters. Months went by, and poor Faya was always passed over.

After more than a year, Faya became the Humane Society’s longest-waiting resident. But the shelter didn’t give up, and continued to search for an adopter.

In a post, the Humane Society of Scott County wrote that they weren’t looking for a “perfect home,” just someone who could give Faya the love she deserves.

“Faya has been here over a year, and if we wait for the ‘perfect’ home, she’s never going to leave the shelter because perfect homes don’t exist,” they wrote. “But that’s okay because our dogs aren’t looking for ‘perfect’ homes, they’re just looking for someone to give them a second chance at life. Someone who will love them and care for them. Perfect homes might not exist, but there sure are a heck of a lot of good homes out there and yours is probably one of them!”

But after 420 days in the shelter, Faya’s luck finally turned around.

On June 19, the Humane Society announced that Faya had been adopted!

“To say our staff and volunteers were overjoyed is an understatement,” they wrote on Facebook. “We’ve given her so much love and care over the many months she was here and this is the moment we were all waiting for.”

“She finally gets to sleep in a home of her own,” they added. “We are so incredibly happy for her and her new best friend!”

They shared a photo of Faya with her new adopter, and it looks like she has a huge smile on her face! They may have said that there’s no such thing as a “perfect home,” but it seems like Faya has truly found one.

We’re so glad Faya finally has a home! Please share this amazing news! ❤️🐾