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By Liz O'Connell
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A Florida shelter is hoping for a Christmas miracle after one of its residents has been living there for over two years.
Meet Bessie, the 4-year-old terrier mix. For half her life, she has only known the inside of the Lakewood Ranch Humane Society in Myakka City, Florida. This has puzzled shelter employees and volunteers since they all rave about how Bessie is a sweetheart with the "cutest ears" that naturally stick up.
Bessie is an easygoing dog who loves car rides and playing with toys and the water hose. The shelter recommends adopting her out to a family with no other pets. She can be with kids, but she does like to play a little rough.
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Bessie, who walks very well on a leash, gets weekly time outside of the kennel with volunteers who take her on trail walks every Sunday.
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She is a volunteer favorite, which has grown her confidence, her adoption page states. But after living in a shelter for as long as Bessie has, confidence can start to wane.
"It's bittersweet because we just had two of the bigger dogs adopted," a volunteer told *Newsweek. "*She's the only one that is still here since I started to volunteer back in September."
Bessie has had interest in the past, but nothing that came to fruition.
One of the reasons why the shelter believes Bessie has not been adopted yet is because she looks like a pit bull, which can sway potential adopters. Plus, Florida is known for certain breed restrictions in communities and homeowners associations (HOA).
However, that will change as a new Florida bill, Senate Bill 942, supported by the American Kennel Club (AKC), that went into effect on October 1 prohibits governmental public housing authorities from banning specific dogs based on their breed, size, and weight. Any remaining local ordinances discriminating against dogs have also been overturned.
Shelter Numbers
Each year, 6.3 million pets are surrendered to shelters in the United States, for an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.
Specifically in Florida, shelter admissions between cats and dogs in 2021 increased by 36,000, or nearly 11 percent compared to the year prior, the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida reported.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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