It’s an unfortunate reality that many dogs in animal shelters are overlooked by potential adopters, simply because they’re too shy to make a big impression. This was the case for a dog named Big Mac who arrived at the McKamey Animal Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in December 2020. He was originally given up by his owner because they “didn’t have time for him and they were moving.” Poor Big Mac struggled to adjust to life at the shelter and was nervous around strangers. Due to his timid nature, he didn’t make a great impression with potential adopters and became the longest resident at the shelter. However, his luck soon turned around.
“Big Mac was with us for 265 days,” Lauren Mann, advancement manager at the shelter, told My Modern Met. “He entered our shelter last December and suffered from what we call ‘stranger danger’ and was very cautious around new people.” Despite being incredibly shy and fearful, Big Mac proved that he was worthy of love. He began to open up to one of the shelter’s staff members.
During his nine months at the shelter, Big Mac occasionally had a break from the kennel and went to live in different foster homes. His last foster home was with a McKamey team member, who decided to welcome him permanently as part of her family. “She ended up falling in love with him, and so did her resident pets,” reveals Mann. “We were so happy that he fit right into her little home.” She adds, “He was a staff favorite, but knowing he was going to be part of her family, we knew he would be in good hands!”
Before Big Mac left the shelter for the last time, Mann and the other staff members wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. As he exited the building with his new mom, all of the staff lined up to give the deserving dog a standing ovation. “His new mom was surprised that he handled it so well, which shows that he’s doing a lot better with stranger danger,” Mann says. “He was just ready to go. He didn’t really care about treats or pets or anything. He was just ready to go home.”
Check out photos of lovable Big Mac below, and scroll down to see the video of his standing ovation. What a good boy!
Meet Big Mac, a dog who was the longest resident at McKamey Animal Center. He stayed there for 265 days!
He was finally adopted by one of the shelter staff members, and he’s now living happily in his forever home.
Before he left the shelter for the last time, the staff members lined up to give the deserving dog a standing ovation.
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My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by McKamey Animal Center.
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