Retired therapy dog saved from being put down at NC shelter. Then came more good news
A retired therapy dog was saved from being put down at a shelter — and the good news didn’t end there.
The playful 10-year-old pup also got a new home, according to a North Carolina animal rescue.
“Pepper has been adopted,” Adopt an Angel wrote Aug. 10 on Facebook. “A nice retired couple with a great vet record for Pepper’s special veterinary needs.”
Pepper kicked off her next chapter after she was first adopted from the Wilmington-area rescue in 2016. At the time, she went to a nursing home to serve as the facility’s therapy dog.
“She passed numerous tests and had various meetings and jumped over several hurdles to be chosen,” the rescue wrote in a past social media post, adding that a newspaper named her one of the region’s top “celebrity” pets.
But Pepper’s luck eventually took a turn for the worst. She retired from the nursing home and was found as a stray. The dog recently ended up in a shelter, but her latest owner didn’t reclaim her, Adopt an Angel said.
“Pepper was spoiled,” the rescue organization wrote. “She was used to being the apple of your eye. She was used to being pampered and brushed and petted and loved on where it is quiet. Because of that background, she did not do well at the animal shelter and we were her only way out.”
Pepper was running “out of time” before shelter workers found a microchip, which stores contact information about past owners. The shelter reached out to Adopt an Angel, which said it stepped in just before the pup was going to be euthanized.
Pepper is described as a “smart” and “quiet” dog with “surprising bursts of playfulness.” She’s also known as the “play police” and “sheriff” because she likes being around other pets but doesn’t want them to play.
Adopt an Angel hoped it would find Pepper a calm place to live, since she was accustomed to the nursing home setting. Then on Aug. 13, rescuers shared the heartwarming update about her adoption.
When reached for comment about Pepper, Adopt an Angel referred McClatchy News to its Facebook posts.
This story was originally published August 14, 2024 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Retired therapy dog saved from being put down at NC shelter. Then came more good news."
