Meet Clover. She’s a resident at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society (BFHS) who’s been searching for her forever home for a very long time.
Clover was initially rescued as a stray, then brought to a shelter in Washington state, where she waited for an adopter to notice her for 406 days. Clover was struggling with skin allergies and needed a special diet, so the shelter decided to transfer her to BFHS, where she could get more individualized care.
Since Clover arrived at BFHS in March, her allergies have been doing much better. Still, though, Clover would rather be in a home than in the shelter, and being cooped up in her kennel day in and day out has been taking a toll on her.
The first time Julie Saraceno, a volunteer at BFHS, met Clover, she could
tell how restless the pup was. Clover is an Australian cattle dog mix, so as a herding breed, she doesn’t like being confined, even more than most shelter dogs.
“[S]he was pacing her kennel … she was just circling,” Saraceno told The Dodo. “She’s so desperate to get out of there.”
Saraceno noticed that even when Clover got to run around outside in BFHS’ yard, she didn’t seem totally at ease. So she decided to take Clover on an outing to a nearby nature park to see if some fresh air would do the trick. As they walked along a trail next to a river and Clover got to smell new smells and dip her feet in the water, the pup transformed.
“The most relaxed I’ve seen her was when I took her on the hike, because I feel like that was much more stimulating for her than just going out to the play yard,” Saraceno said.
Once Clover returned to the shelter, though, she went back to being anxious. Saraceno decided to leave her phone inside Clover’s kennel and record a video of how the pup reacted after she closed the door and walked away. The results were heartbreaking:
“[If] you watch Clover’s tail, you just [see] it just slowly go down,” Saraceno said. “When she thought I was never coming back, you could see how sad she was, just because of her body language.”
What people might not realize about Clover the first time they meet her is that she actually loves people and is super affectionate — if someone gives her a chance.
“I wish people would understand that once these dogs decompress and have time to relax, that’s when they show their true selves,” Saraceno said.
Clover would do best with a family who can give her that physical activity and mental stimulation she craves. If you’ve been looking for a companion for long hikes or for someone to play Frisbee with, Clover might be the perfect dog for you. She’s ready and excited to meet you.
