‘Lumpy’ dog with a ‘sweet spirit’ needed a home. Then came an emotional adoption
A blind dog with a “sweet spirit” needed a home — then came an emotional adoption.
“When we introduced you to Hondo, our adorably lumpy, delightfully awkward, blind little gentleman — we had no idea just how many hearts he’d steal (crooked smile and all),” a South Carolina animal shelter wrote Aug. 2 on Facebook. “We lovingly called him ALL sorts of names, and you all got it. Big time.”
After social media users showered the quirky dog with “love and support,” the Greenville Humane Society shared the good news that he got a new home.
“We knew he was changing lives,” Emily Zheng, marketing manager for the shelter, told McClatchy News via email. “Now, he’s found a family who will change his, and we couldn’t be happier!”
The humane society celebrated the heartwarming adoption after Hondo became known as a “diamond in the ‘ruff.’” The 4-year-old dog landed at the facility when his previous owners surrendered him.
The shelter believes Hondo, who may have been visually impaired at birth, went blind naturally. He doesn’t have issues with moving around or finding food, the humane society wrote in a separate email.
Shelter workers quickly noticed that Hondo was a “low-key kinda pup who just wants to snuggle with his human friends.” Though the “gentle” dog hadn’t spent much time at the shelter, workers shared his story Aug. 1 on social media.
“He’s blind. He’s lumpy. He’s got one eye that points to heaven and one that quit the job entirely. His tail? It wags like it’s trying to send a Morse code SOS....” the shelter wrote in its post.
“Hondo is PURE LOVE in a slightly crumpled wrapper. He navigates life by smell, snuggles like it’s his full-time job, and snorts like a tiny pig when he’s excited (which is often).”
The mixed-breed dog’s story resonated with several Facebook users, including many who said they wanted him for themselves. The shelter announced that he was adopted the day after it shared the post, which had garnered more than 120,000 reactions as of Aug. 5.
“He’s off to his new forever home, where he’ll be spoiled, snuggled, and loved just the way he is,” the shelter wrote after Hondo’s adoption. “Thank you for seeing the magic in this sweet, silly soul. You helped write his fairy tale ending.”
