Every dog has its day, and Dash finally had his.
The six-year-old American pit bull terrier had been the Burlington County Animal Shelter’s longest resident, with nearly two years spent there. But Dash’s long wait for a loving, forever home ended a few weeks ago when he was adopted by Mount Laurel resident Brittany Eifert and her fiancé Nick Butler.
It was a much-anticipated moment for Dash, who had become a favorite of both staff and volunteers at the shelter ever since he was surrendered in September 2020 because his former owners had to relocate.
The shelter spent the past 20 months trying to find the right family to adopt Dash, promoting him on social media and even placing photos of him on pizza boxes. A match was made May 14 when Eifert and Butler came to the shelter to meet another resident but ended up connecting with Dash, who was introduced to visitors during the Lenape High School JROTC’s “Cadets Help Pets” event.
“After nearly two years, Dash is going home to a loving family and we couldn’t be happier,” said Burlington County Commissioner Felicia Hopson, who is the Commissioners’ liaison to the County Health Department and the animal shelter. “The staff and volunteers at the shelter take amazing care of the animals that end up there, but what they all want most is for these animals to find permanent homes with caring families. Dash may have taken a little longer than some to find the right match, but we’re thrilled he did, and we want to thank his adopted family and the staff and volunteers at the shelter for helping to make this happy day possible.”
Eifert said Dash immediately caught her eye as she was walking past him in the shelter.
“He was very sweet and playful, and it felt like a good fit for us,” Eifert said. “When we heard how long he’d been in the shelter, we knew we couldn’t pass him up. He’s been living with us for a few weeks now and is doing well. He’s loved everyone he’s come in contact with.”
Dash is one of more than 540 dogs and cats adopted from the shelter so far this year. To help dogs find forever homes, the shelter has an agility course to help keep them engaged and assist with their training.
“We know a lot of pets are surrendered because of behavioral issues and the difficulties some owners experience with training,” Hopson said. “The agility course at the shelter is a wonderful tool that helps keep the dogs at the shelter healthy and active. It also helps with training and teaching them basic commands.”
The animal shelter is located at 35 Academy Drive in Westampton and is open for visits and tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. It is closed for public visits on Wednesdays. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead at 609-265-5073 to schedule an appointment.
