Neighbors

Shelter dog finally finds a home

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For many shelter dogs, finding a new home can be “ruff.” But for Paprika, a 6-year-old pitbull, caretakers said it was an even harder struggle. 

After spending two and a half years at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh, the brown and black pooch became the longest-term resident of the Beltagh Avenue facility — until Margie Morabito, of Huntington, came along.

“My friend had sent me an email about Paprika’s situation, calling it ‘urgent,” she said. “So I went to the shelter to meet her and decided to give it a try.”

It was official — Paprika was adopted in June 2015. One year later, officials said she’s happy in her new home. 

Paprika had gained a lot of attention on social media, thanks to shelter volunteers. A picture circulating around Twitter showed Paprika holding a sign with a message on it. She wore an open mouthed grin with two wide dimples against her face. A quote on the sign read, “Why doesn’t anyone want me?” 

The same picture was posted on Facebook under the page “Team Paprika.” It 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.

According to the shelter’s director, Mike Pastore, a few volunteers and dog walkers started the social media campaign. “(She’s) another dog that can be a great pet, but just needs to be managed properly,” he told the Herald just before the pup was adopted. 

Paprika was brought in as a stray and was not very 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.

Through their social media outreach, volunteers raised more than $2,500 for Paprika’s training. Dog Behaviorist Mindy Mylett worked with the pup for more than nine months. 

Although the Internet campaign brought attention to her, the pitbull still found herself back in the shelter after two short-lived adoptions. Finally, Morabito decided to take a leap of faith.

“I knew it was gong to be a big commitment, “ she explained. “But we started off slow and I worked with her.”

Paprika is now able to live in harmony with Morabito’s two cats and barks less frequently than she did one year ago. She is even prone to cuddling and hugs when Morabito comes through the door.

“When a dog is in a shelter for over two years, it’s safe to say that they become extremely dominant and hyper vigilant,” Mylett said. “When I started training with her outside of her crate, I couldn’t even get up without her becoming upset. Now, it’s a different story.”

Morabito said she will continue to give Paprika the training, attention, and most importantly, the love that she truly needs. When fall officially arrives, she hopes that she’ll be able to take her dog on a walk without her even barking at passerbys. 

“It’s just a wonderful progression,” she said. “It’s amazing how much she has influenced my lfe.