Benji is a rescue dog who has been let down time and time again in his relatively short life.
Aged 18 months old, the Labrador crossbreed was dumped with his littermates on the streets of Macedonia before being adopted by a family in the same country.
But as soon as the dog ‘outgrew the cute puppy stage’, he found himself turfed out again, and has been looking for a home for over a year.
The young, black dog was brought over to the UK in August in the hopes of having a better chance at being adopted, residing at Strays Without Borders’ kennels, in Sheffield.
And things were looking up after one successful application was set to pick Benji up last week - but let him down on the day after failing to show up.
Volunteer Hollie Bryant said: “This adorable boy was so close to a forever home. Our boy Benji was so excited to meet his potential new mum yesterday, but she never arrived.
“Benji has had a few applications but we’re really struggling as a rescue at the moment for people to actually reply to us when we get in touch with them after they complete an application form.
“It seems they aren’t committed before doing it and panic when we actually get in touch.”
An adopter who passed all of the home and adoption checks never showed at the kennels, and hasn’t been in touch about Benji since.
As a result, the handsome boy continues his search for a forever home in time for the New Year.
Hollie added: “He loves a cuddle and is great with other dogs once he gets to know them.
“He can be strong, so bigger dog experience would be preferred with no small children that he could bump into.”
But the odds are stacked against the rescue dog, who may be struggling for applications for a number of reasons.
Hollie said: “People may not be applying for him due to his size, his colour - as black dogs seem to have it harder - or his age, as a young, bouncy boy.
“He’s super sweet though, and can be adopted or fostered anywhere in the UK, and met after a home check is passed.”
