After Nearly 10 Years In Florida Shelter, Senior Dog Finally “Living Her Best Life” In Forever Home

After spending nearly 10 years at a Florida animal shelter, an 11-year-old dog is finally home. 

A black lab mix named Bean was the “longest resident” at Animal Refuge Center (ARC) in Fort Myers before Larry Denmark decided to give her a “forever foster home.”

ARC celebrated the news on Facebook Monday, explaining that Denmark saw Bean’s photo on the website and started coming to the shelter to spend time with her and the pair “became fast friends.” 

“Wow, is she happy,” the shelter wrote alongside photos of Bean snuggled up in bed, taking a dip in a pool, and otherwise “loving life” in her new home. 

“Thank you to the staff and volunteers that spent so much time getting Bean ready for this opportunity,” ARC wrote. “We will miss her [but] couldn't be more excited to see Bean living her best life.”

Bean’s profile on the shelter’s website describes her as “an extremely loving, affectionate and intelligent girl” who takes a little time to warm up to new people. “If she loves you though, she loves you forever,” her description notes.

However, “a few quirks,” like her dislike for children and other dogs, made finding her forever family a challenge.

But shelter staff never gave up on Bean. ARC featured her on their Facebook numerous times over the years in an effort to find her the perfect home. A post from 2020 tugs particularly hard at our heart strings.

“We promised her that her ideal home is out there, somewhere,” the shelter wrote beside photos of Bean and her graying muzzle. “And we’ll never give up that search.”  

It might have taken three more years, but they kept that promise.

Welcome home, Bean!