Atlas, Hugged

Staycations are Animal Care & Control’s most successful dog adoption program, a powerful tool in its mission to become a no-kill shelter. But staycations come with a dare: How long can you borrow a shelter dog before you fall in love?

- By Jen Tota McGivney

THE DOG LAY NEAR THE INTERSTATE 85 ENTRANCE RAMP just off Freedom Drive, curled on the grass where people dump trash. Three people had called the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department about the brown-and-white pit bull, so Officer David Woody went to retrieve the dog, which someone had likely dumped with the garbage. In his 16 years on the job, he hadn’t seen many dogs in such bad shape. A gaunt body revealed outlines of ribs, spine, and hip bones. Woody gave a friendly whistle, but the dog backed away. He acted with caution to keep the frightened dog from running into highway traffic. With patience and three cans of dog food, Woody earned the dog’s trust and lured him closer. He leashed the dog, now calm, who jumped right into the Animal Care & Control van.

After three days in the stray ward in February, dog #A1164940 remained unclaimed.

A vet exam revealed heartworms and hookworms, both lethal if untreated. The dog had abrasions on his front legs and scratches across his face, and the tip of one ear was missing. But a temperament test revealed his good manners and social nature. A dog the world hadn’t loved somehow loved it back.