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Pooch seeks a good home

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The longest resident at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter has been getting a lot of attention lately. This, however, is not the kind of attention a dog would expect to get in a home with a family. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Paprika, a pit bull who first came to the shelter two and a half years ago, lives the classic story of a sheltered dog waiting for somebody to take her home. Thanks to members at the shelter, this story can be seen across social media platforms as they strive to find one for her.

A picture circulating around Twitter shows Paprika holding a sign with a message on it. She wears an open mouthed grin with two wide dimples against her face. A quote on the sign reads, “Why doesn’t anyone want me?” The same picture can be found on Facebook under the page “Team Paprika.

According to the shelter’s director, Mike Pastore, the page was generated by a few volunteers and dog walkers and the shelter. The page is currently active with posts and comments from those reaching out to share Paprika’s story. Some posts even have around 100 shares and comments expressing concern.


The page was set up not only to spread her story, but as a means of raising funds toward any additional training Paprika would need in a new home. Due to the limited amount of resources in the shelter, the volunteers who made the page made a promise that whoever does take Paprika would not be alone when it comes to taking care of her.

“(She’s) another dog that can be a great pet, but just needs to be managed properly,” Pastore said. He went on to describe how Paprika’s story is not all that unique to the shelter. She was brought in as a stray and was not that social at first. Pastore noted that some of their dogs are not used to being around others and therefore don’t know how to act. “They really need to warm up to somebody,” he said.

In the past two and a half years, Paprika has had visitors and even been considered for adoption on two different occasions. Each time there was another circumstance in which the dog was not right for the home. The Team Paprika Facebook page continues to operate and post on Paprika’s progress. They hope to alleviate any potential concerns those considering her for adoption may have.

On the animal shelter’s own Facebook page, there are posts that feature dogs for adoption with a biography containing any necessary information on the dog. The shelter operates in an effort to urge anybody interested to take in dogs like Paprika. “We don’t want dogs here,” Pastore said. “We want them in homes.”

The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter can be found on Beltagh Avenue in Wantagh and reached at (516) 785-5220.