Meet Luke: This Weeks Animal Shelter Pet of the Week!

ZANESVILLE, OH—This week’s pet of the week story is a little different than most.

Meet Luke, a loving and adorable member of the OSU bunch at the Animal Shelter Society. He’s facing a challenge that many may not even know about, and it’s making it a little harder for him to find his forever home in comparison to his siblings.

“We want to touch on something that’s a bit of a touchy subject. It’s not always rainbows, puppies, and kitties here,” Animal Shelter Society Executive Director April Gibson said. “Luke is suffering from kennel syndrome, also known as caged dog syndrome. He’s been in his kennel for quite some time, and while his other siblings are doing well, with two already adopted, Luke hasn’t been progressing as expected by us or our chief veterinarian.”

Caged dog syndrome is an obsessive-compulsive disorder that causes the dog to spin, jump, and sometimes skip meals. The Animal Shelter Society works hard to provide enrichment activities to get dogs out of their kennels, but Luke needs a bit more attention than the shelter can currently provide. The OSU dogs, like Luke, are the Valentine sweethearts at the shelter. Each dog is named after an OSU team member, and they can be adopted for a special price that includes deworming, nail trimming, flea and tick treatments, vaccines, and other necessary care.

Gibson would like to encourage families who are interested in Luke to swing by the shelter.

“Just give Luke a chance, come in and see him and understand some of the decisions and what we have to deal with here. Even though we’re very happy that they survived and they’re very happy that they survived, this animal is struggling, and so we don’t want him to struggle, we want him to get into a home. I know there’s a family out there for him.”

While lovely Luke doesn’t have a problem with other dogs, a family with a lot of commotion may not be the best fit. Luke loves children, and he’s ready to give all the amazing puppy love to you and your family this Valentine’s Day. If you’re ready to give Luke the chance he deserves, visit the Animal Shelter Society and see if he’s the paw-fect addition to your family.