This is Dutchess — a sweet shelter dog with a beautiful face and a big heart to match. When she was 4 years old, Dutchess was surrendered to Orange County Animal Services (OCAS), and she spent every day after that hoping the right person would stop by her kennel.
For over a month, Dutchess waited with her nose pressed against her kennel door for her new parents. Her tail wagged with excitement whenever she’d hear someone coming, but they always seemed to walk past her without so much as a glance.
Dutchess couldn’t understand why she was being passed over, but her friends at OCAS had a hunch. The dog was born with two pom-pom-sized cysts under her eyes, and, unfortunately, visitors were judging her based on her appearance.
“It doesn’t affect her in any way except one: People cannot seem to get past it,” OCAS wrote in a Facebook post. “The hard part is hearing the comments about her: ‘She looks so ugly.’ ‘What’s wrong with her? She’ll never get adơрted.’”
Dutchess’ friends at OCAS knew that she was an awesome dog, and they were disappointed to see so many people dismiss her. All they wanted was for Dutchess to find the home she’d been waiting for.
“The heartbreaking part is that Dutchess absolutely adores everyone,” OCAS wrote. “She runs up to the kennel doors every day, excited for a new day, relentlessly optimistic.”
Luckily, someone from Rescue Dogs Dream, Inc. (RDD) came across OCAS’s post about Dutchess on Facebook, and they immediately jumреd into action. Within 48 hours, Dutchess was picked up from OCAS and on her way to a loving foster home.
“This sweet girl got her freedom right out of Orange County Animal Services and into a loving foster home yesterday,” RDD wrote in a Facebook post. “She is doing great and is happy to be free.”