Benji was adopted many times but kept being returned to the shelter for unknown reasons. It was the eleventh time, and each of his owners gave the same lame explanation. The new trainee didnโt know what was wrong with Benji until she took him home with her.
Also, no one at the shelter would have expected this to happenโฆ
Stacy was rattled up as she drove back to the shelter. In the back seat, Benji was fast asleep. Stacy felt terrible because she had thought she could assist this poor puppy, but now she had to give him back to the shelter for the 12th time. They may not have understood why, but at least they knew why now.
Stacy had rung in advance, so when she and Benji arrived, they found three other workers already seated and waiting. Despite their evident sadness at the failed adoption, they couldnโt help but be intrigued by the prospect of hearing the real reason why.
Stacy was trusted because they knew she would tell them the truth about why Benji kept being sent back to the shelter. On the other hand, they would soon learn that they were unprepared to face the reality.
So, why did the Shelter keep sending Benjij back there 11 times? Can they figure out whatโs wrong with this sad dog?
Benji had been living at the animal shelter for around 18 months at this time. He wasnโt even close to being a puppy anymore, but he looked like one, so naturally, everyone who came to the shelter to pick him up fell in love with him. And yet, why had poor Benji stayed?
While it may seem like Benji spent most of those 15 months at a shelter, the fact is he didnโt. If he were there, heโd be adopted within two weeks at the most. But the problem was that the folks who adopted him kept giving him back.
This began when he was only three weeks old and taken to the shelter. His original family had a dog that had five hale and hearty pups. However, for whatever reason, they opted to retain four of them, and Benji was abandoned at the shelter.
After some questions were raised, the shelter had its on-call vet give Benji a thorough examination. Because the puppyโs tests came back normal, the shelter decided he must have simply lucked out and ended up there.
As soon as they placed him up for adoption, someone came to claim him the next day. Most dogs sent to shelters were already adults, so everyone who met Benji realized they had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The household to whom he was being sent seemed ideal. This newlywed couple has a 5-year-old daughter who has been begging for a dog since they were married. Benji would have plenty of attention from his mother, who also worked from home. There was little hope that Benji would return to the shelter.
However, this would turn out to be far from the truth. Benjiโs new owners only kept him for three weeks before surrendering him to the shelter. It was only Dad and a very elated Benji. Clearly, he felt a strong connection to the guys and had no notion that this would be his final encounter with them.
The menโs argument for sending Benji back was as flimsy as the rationale they offered. Something about how steady it all was wasnโt working out. From what the shelter knew about the family, this made no sense at all.
The shelter, however, chose not to probe too much at the moment. Benji would be better off with the family if they were unwilling to care for him. Furthermore, they were certain that he would soon be adopted by a family that would shower him with affection. That happened only once, right?
But in the end, this wouldnโt turn out to be an accident after all. Whatever the cause, it continued occurring again and over again. Benji was adopted many times, but always returned to the shelter after just a few weeks.