Meet Siri, a 3-year-old shelter dog with a constant pout who has waited more than 400 days for a home.
Siri’s frown has appeared to deepen since her first day at SPCA of Wake County in December 2021, but her capacity for love has only increased.
“She’s just the sweetest thing,” Samantha Ranlet, marketing communications specialist at SPCA of Wake County, told The Dodo.
After being given up by her family, Siri was moved from a partner facility in North Carolina to the SPCA.
“She was surrendered after living outside her whole life,” Ranlet said. “She had a dog friend who lived outside with her, but at some point, they started fighting over their food.”
When the two canines were unable to coexist, Siri’s family brought her to the little shelter in an effort to find her a new home. Although she immediately won the hearts of the staff at the shelter, they lacked the means or space to retain her for an extended period of time.
The SPCA of Wake County intervened at that point. “We pull pets from our partner shelters in order to give them more time to find a home,” Ranlet said. “In Siri’s case, that ended up being really important. She did need that extra time.”
When Siri arrived at the SPCA, her new carers immediately got to work attempting to find her a new home, but it proved to be more difficult than they had anticipated.
“In over 13 months, she had 11 people express interest in adopting her, but all of them, unfortunately, fell through,” Ranlet said.
Ranlet believes that Siri’s suspicion of others may be getting in the way of her quest to find her forever family.
“It seems like, even though she used to have dog friends, her bad experience soured her feelings towards other dogs,” Ranlet said. “We’ve tried introducing her to some, but she usually starts barking and growling. She doesn’t really want to be friends anymore.”
As a result, Siri’s SPCA of Wake County pals are looking for a home that can meet her demands.
“We’re trying to find a home for her that can take a dog who doesn’t want to be around other dogs,” Ranlet said. “One that doesn’t have another dog in the home.”
Siri enjoys spending time with her buddies at the SPCA while she awaits the arrival of her future home. And they enjoy knowing her even more as a result.
“She’s really easygoing and not really energetic,” Ranlet said. “She’s just a lovely girl who likes to cuddle, chew on her toys and have some snacks. She finds joy in the simple things in life.”
And each day, her charming frown tugs at the hearts of caregivers a little bit more.
“Her frown has superpowers,” Ranlet said. “It’s really hard to look at her big, pouty eyes and frown and not give her everything she wants.”
Siri spent a portion of her 13-month stint in a foster home apart from the shelter. Although her placement was temporary, the devoted dog quickly warmed up to her foster father.
“We got to see the side of her that feels safe and secure,” Ranlet said. “The side of her that comes out when she’s in a safe and comfortable home.”
Although their time together was brief, Siri’s immediate bond with her foster father demonstrated to her SPCA pals that she has a lot of love to give and is eager to do so.
In the meantime, Ranlet and her coworkers at the shelter will keep giving the pouty pooch the kisses and hugs she deserves in the hopes that Siri will soon find a beautiful permanent home.
“She’s got powers over all of us,” Ranlet said. “We love her so much.”
If you’re interested in adopting Siri, fill out SPCA of Wake County’s adoption survey to schedule an appointment to see her.
To help pets like Siri get the help they need, make a donation to SPCA of Wake County.