After More Than 2 Years, Ohio Shelter’s Longest Resident Is Home Just In Time for Holidays
Nicknamed “Mr. Personality” by shelter staff, the pup finally found a family to call his own. 
By Sarah Gerrity December 24, 2020 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print 
Ciabatta the Pitbull Credit: Courtesy of Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center
Ciabatta, a handsome boy with a sweet disposition to match, had been in and out of the Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center in Columbus, Ohio since July 2018. In total, his time at the shelter amounted to a whopping 370 days without a family to call his own. But earlier this month, the adorable mix breed doggo was finally adopted—just in time to spend the holidays as part of a loving family.
Before he was adopted by his most recent foster family, who first brought him home in November, the fawn and white pooch was the shelter's longest-standing canine resident. It wasn't a title that anyone wanted for the pup, who'd been passed over time and time again by people looking to adopt a pet.
"He is just super sweet and affectionate," Andrew Kohn, JD, the shelter's community relations manager, tells Daily Paws. "But he just has a lot of energy for some people!"
During his time at the shelter, Ciabatta showed off his playful side with volunteers and staff. "He's a bundle of energy," Kohn says. "He would play outside all day if he could." The pup's affectionate demeanor and ability to lighten anyone's mood earned him the nickname "Mr. Personality" with staff.
But that playful nickname didn't make it any easier for him to find a home. Ciabatta's particular needs made it difficult to find the perfect family for the pup. Kohn says the dog had three requirements for his forever family: "A home with no other animals, a fenced-in back yard, and older children." Those factors contributed to Ciabatta's status as the shelter's longest-standing canine resident.
Kohn attributes Ciabatta's eventual triumph to the dedication of staff and volunteers who prepare dogs for adoption by socializing them before they find permanent homes. The shelter thanked all the volunteers who worked with Ciabatta in a heartwarming video celebrating his adoption. In the video, the shelter thanks the people who were dedicated and determined to helping this bundle of joy find his forever home.
Even though many shelter dogs have warm, playful demeanors like Ciabatta, Kohn notes that they're often overlooked if they've been in the shelter for an extended period of time. It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy: the longer the dogs stay at the shelter, the less likely they are to find homes. "It's really unfortunate," Kohn tells Daily Paws. "Some dogs are overlooked for one reason or another, and can gain a stigma of being 'unadoptable' because of the length of their stay." Kohn points out that while many long-term shelter dogs are some of the most awesome pups, they can start to pick up behaviors that are unique to the shelter setting as their stay lengthens.
But that doesn't necessarily mean they'll take those behaviors with them to their new home. Like Ciabatta, once they have a chance to decompress from the stress of the shelter in their new home, Kohn says pups are likely to "blossom and grow, showing their true selves and offering all the love in the world to their new family."
With Ciabatta now happily at his new home, the shelter is hoping to find their next longest-term resident, a 7-year-old dog named Sasha, a family as well. With her sweet brown eyes and tan-and-white coloring, we think she looks an awful lot like Mr. Personality. Let's hope those gorgeous good looks help her find a forever home ASAP, too.
