The Great Plains SPCA is a temporary home to more than 1,000 animals, all deserving a forever home. But one resident, in particular, is special. She has been there longer than any other animal and is still searching for her family.
Dru is a 4-year-old pit mix who has lived a shelter life for nearly two years. KCMO animal control officers brought her in. Shelters workers believe she was chained. She had very little interaction and didn’t know how to respond to humans.
During that time, 21 months ago, Dru met Barb Varhol, a longtime animal lover and volunteer. Varhol knew she could help Dru adjust and enjoy human touch and affection.
“I got her off the euthanasia list and worked with her,” said Varhol. “Within a month, she was licking everyone's face and just loved people. She just didn't know how to do it.”
Dru’s favorite toy is an empty metal bucket. She chases it, sticks her head in it and barks and tosses it in the air. Varhol believes a bucket may have been her only entertainment when she was chained up. She also enjoys fetching, playing tug with a rope, chasing squeaky toys and chewing on bones.
“Very playful, very smart,” said Rachel Hodgson with the Great Plains SPCA. “She's got all of the characteristics that you want in a good dog.”
But Dru does come with some requirements. As a pit bull mix, she must be adopted by a family who lives in a city that allows this breed. She’s also a jumper, so the family needs to have a 6-foot privacy fence. While Dru loves humans, she doesn’t do well with small dogs, cats or female dogs.
“It's really important for both the human and the pet to find their match, so we just got to find the perfect match for Dru,” Hodgson said.
In the meantime, Varhol said, don’t feel sorry for Dru. She is living a great life in the shelter.
“She gets more attention than anybody else and she's obviously stayed very bright and alert,” she said.
Dru is the mascot for the Great Plains SPCA’s Young Heroes for Pets Camp, getting along with all the children who love her.
“She really just soaks in the love,” said Hodgson. “They all want to pet her and give her toys. But they help each other. It's really mutually beneficial for them to spend that time together.”
At the end of June, the children put together a video featuring Dru’s story in hopes of finding her forever family. Watch the video here.
Dru also has her own Facebook page where you can learn more about her.
