Romie Pit Bull Terrier Mix Neosho, MO

*ADOPTION FEE SPONSORED*

His name is Romie, but he should really be called Romeo This loverboy is a tiny little pittie mix--under 50 lbs. He has been here for nearly 11 whole months, and we can't figure out why! He has everything: looks, personality, and all the love in the world to give.

Romie's favorite hobbies include giving out hugs, receiving treats, and being the most joyous presence ever to light up the room that he is in.

When he spends time with me as office dog, despite being overjoyed that he is out of his kennel, he remains polite and pleasant to share space with. He ignores the bevy of toys laid out in front him in favor of taking a nap on the doggy bed, working hard to get his stuffed Kong squeaky-clean, or taking some time to wiggle and wag at any human in his close vicinity. Sometimes I will look over at him and he is just staring up at me, tail wagging slowly and gently, waiting for me acknowledge once again what a sweetheart he is.

Having been here for over 375 days has left its mark on Romie. Kennel stress has taken its toll on not just his mind but his body too-it is getting harder to keep weight on him, and when his kennel stress reaches its most frantic heights, his muzzle will end up scraped and bleeding from his panic. He was sensitive from the moment he came into the shelter as well as incredibly people oriented. Having limited affection day-to-day combined with his length of stay and just inherent softness made him the perfect candidate for kennel stress to dig in its claws.

This means that he presents poorly and gets overlooked for other dogs that show as calmer inside their kennels. So despite him being a lower energy dog that would likely be contended with an evening jaunt, five minutes of training, and a nice chew to quiet down with (and of course limitless cuddles), he appears like a high-energy, high-maintenance, and even mean dog. But Romie outside of his kennel could not be further than the truth.

He is not bad on a leash, enjoys splashing in water, and spends quality time every day in a puppy playgroup with his fellow long-stay peer, Holiday.

We are eagerly waiting for someone to come by willing to give him that chance- to look past the way he reacts in the kennel and also wait for him to truly decompress after his incomprehensibly long stay-the trauma that incurs just via being in a shelter truly does leave a mark on a dog's mental state, but sometimes it takes awhile to manifest after suppressing natural behaviors for so long.

So please, come give this sparkly-eyed, enthusiastically-adoring dog the chance he deserves and so desperately needs. We hated that we had to celebrate his 1 year anniversary her. All he needs is one chance.