Most unwanted dog spent completely heartbreaking 800 days at shelter

It’s been ruff for the nation’s most unwanted dog — but she finally found her forever home.When Mia the Dutch Shepherd was rescued by UK inspectors of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in October 2019, she was just nine days old.The “sweet” pup, available for rehoming since November 2022, spent more than two years at Southridge Animal Center in Hertfordshire, England, as 1,500 of her furry friends at the facility found new homes.But after waiting 800 days and spending her fifth birthday there, the longest-staying resident was finally able to say goodbye and move in with a loving family.“Mia is a superb dog and a great companion — she brings a smile to my face every day,” her new owner Chris Greenwell told Southwest News Service.“She’s been with me for nearly a month, but it feels like she’s been here forever, she’s settled in so well.”The staff at RSPCA Southridge are “thrilled” that the “one in a million” dog has been adopted.“Mia had spent almost her entire life in kennels — 35 years in dog years — and we’re so happy she’s finally found her forever home,” Claire Hoffman, behavior and welfare advisor at RSPCA Southridge, said.“Her long wait was completely heartbreaking — we think she was the RSPCA’s longest ‘available for rehoming’ pet and the country’s most unwanted dog, a title no animal deserves.”Last month, Greenwell took Mia to her new home in North Yorkshire — 200 miles away.“Considering she’s not spent much time in a home environment, she adapted incredibly well,” Greenwell shared, adding that the pup loves his 15-year-old daughter Seren and even looks for her, “which is very sweet.”“She immediately adopted a sofa, and it’s been hard to get her out of it since,” he said.

“If I sit down and put my feet up, she gives me an exasperated sigh and moves over to the armchair instead.”Of course, it’s taken some time for Mia to fully adjust to living ...