09/20/2025
Behind the Scenes at AAS 9/20: “Why Do Some Animals Take So Long to Get Adopted?” The stories of Selma, Stetson, and Darcy
If you spend enough time working for, volunteering at, or just following almost any animal shelter - it probably won’t take you long to notice that certain animals cause a line at the gate while other animals seem to just sit here for a very long time. It’s a reality of the animal welfare world that some animals are adopted much faster than others.
This morning, we’re going to take our three longest tenured residents and tell you about each of them in a little more depth. We have two hopes with this article: that you might understand a little better why some animals take forever to find homes, and that you might (maybe? just maybe?) be moved to give one of these unlucky pets the forever home they’ve been looking for. ❤️ 🙏
DARCY has been at our shelter since July 29th. She is a sweet cat with a gentle personality, not very vocal but fine with being held and cuddled. Darcy enjoys attention, has a great purr motor, and has never given our staff or volunteers any problems in the long months she has been with us.
So why has Darcy stayed behind as other cats were adopted around her?
There are two big reasons for that:
1.) Darcy is two years old. She is a fully mature adult cat, with the kitten stage in her rearview. Most cat adopters (the vast majority, we’re afraid) want kittens. We love our kitten adopters too, especially during the summer when kittens are EVERYWHERE, but there’s a special place in our hearts for the people willing to take home one of the former moms or dads.
Cats are long lived animals, sometimes making it to 18 or 19! A two year old cat like Darcy may be past the little ball of fluff stage, but she still has a lot of life to live and love to give.
2.) Darcy is tuxedo. The most common cat colors at our shelter are tuxedo, black, and brown tabby. It can be easy to overlook a cat who looks pretty much the same as the cat beside it. Calico, white, and colorpoint cats tend to be adopted the fastest.
We totally understand how a quirky or less common color can grab your eye and get you to give that cat a second look. But beauty is more than skin deep, and sometimes the cat with the right personality and spirit for you may come in a more “bland” package. Please consider a meet and greet with one of our tuxedo, black, or brown tabby friends - give them the chance to make that great impression 🙂
STETSON has been at our shelter since August 12th. He’s the last man standing from a spay/neuter transport where I gave all the dogs cowboy names (you may have noticed that Calamity Jane, Outlaw, Pistol, etc are all long adopted…we only have Stetson left.) He is a notably chill and sweet dog - Stetson is mild mannered with a gentle personality. He likes everyone and is a great dude to take out into the community with you. Stetson has been on two dog days out and got rave behavior reviews from both volunteers, and he’s also starred on Fox54 News and got rave behavior reviews from me.
So why has Stetson been here for so long? In his case, there’s really only ONE reason.
Stetson is heartworm positive. This condition is spread by mosquitoes, and it’s sadly very common in the south. We all know how many mosquitoes we have down here, so not keeping your dog on monthly preventative is almost a recipe for it.
Stetson’s heartworm does not have to be a death sentence. Many adopters are scared off by it, but slow kill treatment through your vet can be a lot more affordable than you might think and many people have had great success with it (if you’ve successfully treated a dog for heartworm, please feel free to share your story in the comments!)
SELMA has been at our shelter since July 17th. She is our longest resident of either species, and we’re afraid she’s starting to think AAS is just where she lives now. Selma is a happy girl who loves to play, makes friends instantly, and has a great smile! So why is she still here?
Like Darcy, Selma has two reasons to thank for her long tenure.
1.) Selma is a brown dog who probably has pit bull in her. You see a lot of dogs who look about like Selma - brown, floppy ears, around fifty pounds, probably part pit but clearly not purebred pit. Much like our tuxedo Darcy, it can be easy to overlook something that looks so familiar to what you see all the time.
But again…there’s more to compatibility than looks alone! If you give an animal like this a chance, you may be surprised how perfect they actually are for you.
2.) Selma is young and energetic. High energy dogs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea: just putting them out in a fenced yard usually isn’t enough, and if you try that route you’ll probably have to deal with the dog escaping due to boredom. Dogs like Selma need more from you. You have to take them on walks or jogs, throw a ball for them, or have another dog for them to play with. The most sedentary people may find them “too much.”
But if you have an active lifestyle, there’s no better complement to it than a dog! Active dogd can be great motivators on weight loss journeys, great sources of fun and laughter, and great playmates for older kids.
These are our three longest serving inmates here at AAS. I hope that learning who they are and looking at their photos inspires someone reading this to give them a second look!
There’s no more loyal and rewarding pet relationship than the one with an animal who truly needed you! You gave that pet the chance it was begging for, and your reward is a lifetime of love ❤️
As always - the comment section is open if you want any more info about these animals, or just have general questions about why some pets take longer to be adopted!
