Looks like a shelter dog in Missouri is getting the second chance she so desperately wanted.
Ginger, a 9-year-old Labrador retriever mix currently living at the Dogwood Animal Shelter in Lake of the Ozarks, received an outpouring of love and upwards of 30 adoption applications this week, according to KSDK.
It was a longtime coming for the rescue pooch, who has been waiting for over 7 years to be adopted.
Just on Tuesday, the no-kill shelter shared a photo of Ginger at her kennel to social media. The pic included a sign that read, "Hi! I'm Ginger! I've been here waiting 7 years, 9 months, 2 weeks, 2 days. I'm a good girl! I promise! I just need a 2nd chance!"
Widespread support for Ginger quickly spread on Instagram, with many sites - including Mission Driven, a clothing brand dedicated to bringing awareness to shelter pets, and Ellen DeGeneres' account to publicize adoptable dogs, PawsUp, sharing the post.
Soon after, Dogwood Animal Shelter shared an update on its Facebook page, explaining that Ginger had come to them "with her own set of medical, emotional and behavioral issues which made her unadoptable for a long time."
The staff and volunteers at Dogwood "diligently worked to address those issues and to locate a suitable home for her," they wrote, stressing that Ginger "is and has been adoptable" but needs to be placed in a home with no other animals or small children.
That "narrowed the possibilities, but we never give up trying," they said, captioning a video of Ginger playing with a chew toy.
Now, with nearly 30 applications from New York to Canada to Texas, the staff at Dogwood is reviewing everything to find Ginger the right home.
"Thank you for all the inquiries about Ginger," they wrote on Facebook, Thursday. "As everyone knows, we have been inundated with adoption applications about her! We are diligently reviewing them and will post an update when a decision is made. Please keep hoping with us that she will finally find the perfect home!'
"We're so grateful for the support," Dogwood Animal Shelter Manager Ellen Keen told KSDK. "It's overwhelming sometimes."
Keen added to KSDK that she's hopeful Ginger's story will help the other animals the shelter has up for adoption.
"Come visit Dogwood and tour the facility, where you'll find that our kennel floors are heated and there's a Kuranda Bed for every dog," the shelter said on Facebook. "Meet the dedicated volunteers and staff who walk and care for the animals daily. See first hand the high level of care our animals receive."
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