A long time coming: SPCA long-stay finds his loving forever home at last

Many SPCA animals have waited months, or sometimes even years to be adopted. This special group of residents are known as our ‘long-stays’. These animals have all come from a unique set of circumstances, and there are different reasons why they might still be looking for homes.

Many may just be shy or nervous around new people, so they struggle to come out of their shells and show their true personalities when meeting potential adopters. Some might be older, or have health considerations that require a little extra care.

This was the case for Titus, who was described by our team as “a huge, loveable goofball.” With his large size, and a skin condition, this sweet boy was overlooked by visitors for many months… until his luck finally changed.

Titus was a big boy, and had a noticeable skin condition when he first came to our Invercargill Centre in January 2023. Though our team instantly fell in love with him, and treated the condition to the best of their ability, Titus struggled to gain much attention from potential adopters.

“It was such a shame, because he was such a sweet and handsome boy who loved squeaky toys and people,” said Shannon, our Invercargill Centre Manager.

The months passed by, and it was clear that poor Titus wasn’t having any luck finding a family in Invercargill. It was heartbreaking to see him wait hopefully for the right person to come and meet him, to no avail.

“When October rolled around, we decided to take him up to Dunedin to get another vet opinion on his skin. Our team there tried a different type of treatment which he responded to really well!” Shannon said. “We then decided to keep him with the team there, so they could keep an eye on his progress.”

Gemma, our Canine Team Leader at the Dunedin Centre, said getting his skin condition under control was a big win.

“With the new treatment, the results were great to see,” Gemma said. “We were able to eventually take him off all medication, and we gave him special baths to soothe his exposed skin. Unfortunately he had patches where the fur would never grow back, but he was doing so much better.”

With his skin under control, our Dunedin team could now focus on another issue which was making Titus a little harder to adopt out – his reactivity to other dogs.

“He had no real social skills when it came to other dogs, and he was always a bit ‘overwhelming’. The end goal was for him to get to a place where he’d be comfortable around others, and just ignore them, rather than always react,” Gemma said.

“Even though he could get overly excited and jump up sometimes, he never failed to make us laugh,” Gemma said. “He loved to cuddle too, and thought he was a lap dog – despite being 40kgs!”

After another few months in the Dunedin Centre, our team started to wonder how long it would take for the right person to find Titus. Through no fault of his own, he’d waited in our care for over a year, hoping each day to meet his special person.

One day, to the great excitement of our team, an application came through for Titus that seemed to be the perfect fit.

Elizabeth, who had previous experience training dogs in rural USA, spotted his adoption profile – and the stars aligned.

“I fell in love with Titus by accident. I read his story, and saw the photo of him with his teddy, and I knew he had my heart,” Elizabeth told us. “By chance, I had just been offered my first rental home that would allow me to have an adult dog. It was fate!”

To ensure they’d be a good match, Titus went home with Elizabeth on a trail period. This allowed Elizabeth the chance to see how he behaved in his new home environment, and make sure she would be happy with the long-term commitment.

“Like with any change, there were adjustments that needed to be made by both parties. Titus is a big boy, and he’d use that to his advantage when he really wanted to sit on my lap! Other times, he isn’t aware of just how big he is, and he could be uninhibited in his play time,” Elizabeth said.

“It just meant that we had to learn strategies around managing this – for example, having playtime outside, for a set period of time. And he’s an excellent leash-walker, until he sees another dog, but I just break his fixation and keep him moving.”

While little quirks like these can keep a special animal waiting to be adopted, Elizabeth and Titus are proof that the right person can manage these differences in an effective way.

“In a perfect world I would have a very social dog that I don't have to worry about going anywhere with,” Elizabeth said. “But I can appreciate, and now accept, that's just not who he is. Neither of us are perfect, and we won’t always get it right. But seeing Titus so happy is so rewarding, it often brings me to tears.”

A few months have now passed with Titus in his forever home, and we’re incredibly grateful to hear about how he’s settled in and found his person.

It’s the kind of outcome we wish for every animal that comes through our doors.

“SPCA has been incredible along this journey,” Elizabeth says. “From Gemma fielding emails in the early days about my concerns while Titus and I were still adjusting, to the vet staff providing support and advice about his skin – I am so thankful for everyone along the way that loved him and made it possible for him to find a home with me.

“As much as I hope that I’ve brought joy and happiness to Titus, he has done the same if not more for me. Titus provides such unconditional love. He is loveable even through his quirks… and I know he feels the same for me."

We'd like to say a huge thank you to our teams who cared for Titus across both our Invercargill and Dunedin Centres, and to Elizabeth for taking a chance on this very special boy and giving him the life he truly deserves.

There are so many deserving long-stay animals like Titus who are still waiting in our care. Check out their profiles today, and look for the blue ‘Special Love Needed’ badge on their profile which indicates that they’ve been in our care for a long time!

Any successful adoption applications submitted for these special animals by Sunday 21 July will have their adoption fees waived. Let’s find our long-stays their loving forever homes!