Not every shelter pup gets a red carpet sendoff after being adopted. But for Bowie the shepherd mix — who’d spent over a year searching for his forever family — it was the most fitting farewell his friends at Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) could think of.
Bowie was a celebrity among staff members from his very first day, when he quickly won the hearts of every single employee and volunteer who worked at the rescue.
“He was really, really sweet,” Andrea Merrill, Whatcom Humane Society’s development associate, told The Dodo.
For almost a year and a half, shelter staff cared for Bowie as if he were their own. On top of playing with him at the rescue, volunteers would take him out on hikes to get away from the shelter for a bit.
“He’s one of those dogs who just need an entire village to invest in him,” Merrill said. “That’s why [the adoptions] kept not working out…”
During that time, Bowie received several adoption applications, but none were the right fit for him.
“He definitely needed someone who was willing to understand that he’s a fantastic dog who is still learning his manners,” Merrill said.
Every time a new adoption fell through, Bowie would go right back to the shelter. And, as confused as they were as to why nobody had successfully adopted him yet, his friends at the humane society welcomed him back with open arms.
About a year into Bowie’s stay at WHS, a local college student found his story on social media and started following along.
“She was utterly in love with him, but it wasn’t the right time,” Merrill said.
Six months later, the woman graduated from college and secured her first job. When she went back to WHS and saw that Bowie was still available, she put in an adoption application immediately.
“It’s very much a ‘the right person found the right dog’ situation,” Merrill said. “And everyone here at Whatcom was so excited for Bowie to start this new chapter.”
Although red carpet sendoffs aren’t a typical scene at the humane society, staff members thought it was only fitting for their very own four-legged celebrity. Plus, there were so many friends who wanted to say goodbye to him one last time.
WHS workers unrolled a long red carpet from the kennels to the door just for Bowie. They made special signs just for him and lined up around the carpet to wish their good friend one final farewell.
“Everyone was in tears, but we were all so excited and just so happy for him,” Merrill said. “It was a really sweet way for us to be able to say goodbye to Bowie.”
After walking the red carpet out of the shelter, Bowie went straight to his forever home.
When he isn’t going on hikes or staying attentive in training classes, Bowie can be found snuggling up with his mom, who loves him more and more each day.
“She just absolutely adores him,” Merrill said. “And Bowie’s so, so happy.”