For most dogs, a shelter is only a temporary stop before they find a new family. Many are adopted within a short time, but others remain unnoticed far longer than anyone expects.

Some shelters must follow strict euthanasia rules, while others dedicate all their resources to saving every dog they can. Even then, certain dogs are passed over again and again for reasons that are often unclear.

Whether it is because of age, breed, size, or their ability to live with other pets, each overlooked dog carries the weight of that wait.

For Tracy, a large, happy dog in Illinois, that wait stretched across more than two and a half years. Then, at last, her moment arrived.

A Long Journey Toward a Family

By the time Tracy had reached 933 days at PAWS Chicago , her hope had begun to fade. She wat

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