A dog who has been waiting seven years to find his forever home has finally met his new family after being adopted from dog welfare charity Dogs Trust.
Pluto, a nine-year-old Pit Bull cross, was brought to Dogs Trust when he was just six-weeks-old.
"Although he did find a loving home initially, sadly it didn’t work out and when returned, he was often overlooked in favour of younger, smaller dogs," the charity explained.
Dogs Trust said a great deal of thanks is due to his sponsors, whose funds allowed the charity to continue to care for Pluto while he waited to find his forever home.
"We’re so thrilled for Pluto that he has found his happily ever after at last. He was a popular pup here and so many happy tears were shed when we waved him off," Sandra Ruddell from Dogs Trust said.
Although Pluto's story has a happy ending, the charity said they have seen a sharp decline in the number of people applying to adopt a dog over the past few months.
So far in 2022, over 200 dogs have been rehomed, almost 100 below the number that would usually have been adopted at this point in the year.
Dogs Trust are urging anyone who is thinking of getting a dog to consider a rescue, with information on adoption available on their website.
For those who are not in the position to commit to adopting, the charity said sponsoring a dog also goes a long way "to support the lifesaving work Dogs Trust carries out in Ireland".
