This is Jax, a long-time shelter resident who desperately wanted a home but was continually overlooked by visitors. His friends from the Regina Humane Society were devastated every time they saw someone pass by Jax’s kennel. They knew that Jax was an exceptional dog, so they decided to do everything possible to make his greatest wish come true.

When Jax first came to them, the person who dropped him off didn’t share many details about the puppy’s history, but it was clear that he hadn’t been loved in a long time.

According to Bill Thorn, director of the Regina Humane Society, “He was very thin, so it looked like he may have been alone for a while.” “He was very, very hungry when he arrived. We made sure he had all the sustenance he needed.”

The shelter’s veterinary team gave Jax a complete medical exam and approved him for adoption shortly after his arrival. But, a few days after his adoption announcement was posted, Jax came down with pneumonia. The puppy was removed from the adoptable list and was quickly placed in care.

After weeks of treatment, Jax was finally declared healthy enough to find a home. His friends from the humane society reposted his photo and invited tourists to meet him, but no one showed interest.

Jax had no idea why people kept staring at him, but Thorn had a hunch: Jax screamed whenever he saw someone walking toward his kennel, and his deep bark would scare them away.

“It wasn’t aggressive at all,” Thorn said. “I was really suffering from something known as barrier frustration. He is an extremely nice dog, but there was a barrier in his kennel and he couldn’t bring people over to be with them. He just wanted to be petted, but that could often be unpleasant for people.”

Jax’s handlers put up a sign in his kennel explaining why he was howling and what a lovely dog ​​he really was. Still, no one showed interest in Jax, so the staff decided to try something different.

“We took him to our receiving area for a while to get him out of his kennel and show his true colors,” Thorn explained. “During that time, he became a staff favorite because we all knew what a good dog he was, but we just needed to put him in a situation where he could show it.”

By the time he was brought to the reception area, Jax had already earned the title of “long-time worker” at the shelter. On average, canines reside at Regina Humane Society for 10 to 12 days, but Jax was there for months. With each passing day, the shelter staff fell even more in love with him.

They tried everything they could to draw as much attention as possible to Jax, but it was still unsuccessful.

You can see one of their social media campaigns for Jax here:

“He was even sponsored, so his adoption costs were covered, but he still sat there until it finally happened,” Thorn added.

On March 3, 2023, Jax’s dream finally came true. A man who had experience with large canines like Jax visited him at the shelter and he instantly fell in love. Finally, Jax found his ideal match.
On Jax’s last day at the shelter, his friends decided to do something special for him.

“When we all found out he was going home, we all gathered out front to say goodbye,” Thorn said. “We didn’t know he would stop by every staff member along the way and he would say goodbye.”

Jax couldn’t leave the shelter without kissing each of his friends goodbye. He was excited to finally have the family of his dreams and wanted to thank them for doing everything they could to make this happen.

When he reached the end of the line, Jax ran to his new father and dissolved into his arms. The shelter staff was sorry to see Jax go, but they immediately realized that his goodbye was more of a “see you later!” Since they were adopted, Jax and his dad have visited the shelter several times just to give everyone a big hug again.

When he’s not spreading kisses in his beloved hideaway, Jax can usually be found making friends with everyone he meets on walks or hugging his amazing dad at home.

Thorn and his team still reflect on all the time Jax spent at the shelter, but they know it was worth it in the end.

“It took us a while, but we found the right person for Jax, and that’s what it’s all about,” Thorn said.