Rescue Dog Will Not Stop Hugging Everyone He Meets

Toro was found chained to a fence at an abandoned property in October and brought to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. His rescuers assumed he’d spent his whole existence outside, and they anticipated it would take him some time to adjust to his new surroundings.

“When he initially came in, he was scared and shut down,” says the doctor. Town’s kennel and placement supervisor, Melissa Fogarty.

Despite his worries, it was apparent that Toro had a lot of love to share, and he soon demonstrated this by hugging his rescuers.

“When he initially came in, I was probably one of the first people to take him out for a sociable walk,” Fogarty said. “Within 15 minutes of letting him go in our side play yard, the embracing started. He just crawled up to me, got onto my lap, and rubbed his chest against my chest… it developed from there, and now he embraces all of his pals here.”

Toro is grateful to be at a place where he is secure and loved, even if the shelter still makes him uneasy. He tells everyone of this every time he gets.

“Every time he comes out of the kennel, his first instinct is to embrace the person who is walking him, and anybody else,” Fogarty added.

Toro was adopted in January but had to be returned after a week and a half because he didn’t fit in with his new family. He’s still seeking for the ideal permanent home, where he can demonstrate his love for his family by hugging them every day.

Toro is searching for an adult-only home with a family that will provide him with plenty of structure and help him continue his training. He’ll need to be crate-trained and taught the fundamentals of housekeeping, and he’ll be happier as the sole pet in his new home.

Toro is more than ready to meet his ideal mate after over a year of waiting, and his rescuers are baffled as to why such a lovable dog who has been through so much is still looking for his forever home.

“I seriously believe he hasn’t been adopted because he’s a middle-aged pit mix residing in a municipal shelter with a large intake,” Fogarty said. “In this sea of dogs that don’t behave well in their kennels, he gets lost.”

Toro has so much love — and so many hugs — to give, and hopefully his forever family will find him very soon.