WORTH THE WAIT

AFTER TWO YEARS IN A SHELTER, ROXIE THE PUP FOUND HER BEST FRIEND AND MOVED IN TO A HOME MADE JUST FOR THEM

- KELLI BENDER

Strong Bond "I love this dog so much. I just couldn't not do something," says Byrnes (with Roxie at their new home in Monson, Mass.).

“Dreadful” is how Mike Byrnes remembers his first meeting with Roxie the rescue dog. Poorly socialized as a puppy and overwhelmed by the loud and unfamiliar shelter environment, Roxie “bared her teeth, growled and barked” at Byrnes, who triggered the dog’s “stranger danger” fears when he approached, says Lisey Good, the development coordinator at Second Chance Animal Services.

Unfazed, Byrnes, a volunteer at the East Brookfield, Mass., shelter, says he “gravitates toward dogs that have behavior issues. I understand a dog like her, who doesn’t feel like she fits into the world and [is] trying to figure out where she belongs. I relate to that. So when I see a dog like that, that’s the one I jump toward.”

After his introduction to the 8-year-old pup, who arrived at the shelter in April 2023 as an owner surrender, Byrnes started visiting Roxie at least twice a week to gently ease into a trusting relationship with the mixed-breed dog.