The Animal Foundation of Las Vegas says the family that adopted Duke in July returned him this week because he was “lacking enthusiasm” and energy. He is now with a foster mom.
Extremely relaxed dog leaves the animal shelter and looks for a loving foster family
Duke, who was described as “too boring” by his previous owners, has a happy beginning.
A four-year-old dog who was returned to a Las Vegas shelter because he was “too boring” has found a loving foster home where he can sleep as much as he wants.
Duke, whose breed has not been identified but appears to be a Labrador, was returned to the Las Vegas-based Animal Foundation this week. Within hours of the foundation announcing Duke’s return, a woman arrived to care for him.
Now Duke is at her house and enjoying his free time, apparently his favorite activity.
Kelsey Pizzi, a spokeswoman for the Animal Foundation, told USA TODAY on Friday that she met with Duke on Thursday and “he was just relaxed the whole time.”
Pizzi added that Duke seemed very comfortable in his new home.
Duke is “constantly napping” according to family
Duke first arrived at the Animal Foundation shelter on June 23 after being found lost in a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood. Just days later, on July 6, a family adopted him and brought him to his new home.
But the family’s mood didn’t match Duke’s, and they brought him back to the shelter earlier this week on Wednesday. The pup’s former family said he was “bored, sleeps all day, and doesn’t get up to greet them when they come home,” the shelter said in a post on Facebook.
“Because of his constant napping and obvious lack of enthusiasm, he was not a good fit for his last family,” the foundation said in its post. “And that’s OK. We are confident there are many people who could handle four-year-old Duke’s lack of energy.”
Returns are not uncommon
Pizzi told USA TODAY that about 5% of animals adopted from the shelter are ultimately returned.
“It’s OK,” Pizzi said. “We want to be realistic that this happens. We don’t want to embarrass anyone. We’re here to support them and help them find the right thing for their family.”
The Animal Foundation said Duke, who weighs 40 kilograms, “walks well on a leash” and “is most likely house trained and will wait until he can do his business outside.”
Pizzi said Duke also enjoys his treats, especially pepperoni.
The Animal Foundation is one of the largest shelters in America, according to Pizzi, and has taken in about 13,000 animals so far this year. The summer season is the busiest for the shelter, with nearly 100 animals arriving each day. The shelter currently houses nearly 675 animals, including dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, pigs and guinea pigs. Of those 675 animals, 456 are dogs, Pizzi said.
“Most of these animals are lost animals that probably have a family out there,” Pizzi said. “Unfortunately, most of them are never reclaimed, so they end up being adopted by other families.”
She said that “larger dogs always take a little longer to get adopted.”
“Puppies and smaller dogs are adopted quickly, but large dogs can take weeks, sometimes months, to be adopted,” she said.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
