Everyone She Loved Found a Home… Except Lacey

For more than a year, Lacey has watched families come and go. Her puppies found forever homes. Even the dog she arrived with was adopted. Somehow, this sweet little girl is still waiting for someone to choose her.

If dogs could ask one question, Lacey's would probably be simple:

"What was wrong with me?". The heartbreaking truth? Nothing.

Lacey's story began like so many others. She was rescued from a high-risk shelter alongside her boyfriend and their puppies. One by one, every member of her little family found the happy ending they deserved. Everyone... ...except Lacey.

Then Something Changed. After spending more than a year waiting, Lacey recently moved into a foster home. And it turns out that sometimes all a dog needs is a little less kennel......and a little more couch.

Fortunately, Rescue Garage stepped in before time ran out and gave her the second chance she deserved. The North Port-based nonprofit's mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, retrain and re-home vulnerable and at-risk dogs, including animals pulled from high-risk shelters throughout Southwest Florida.

Her foster mom says Lacey has already started coming out of her shell and making remarkable progress. That's one of the reasons foster homes are so important to Rescue Garage. They give dogs a chance to experience a real home environment, develop confidence and show potential adopters the personality that can sometimes remain hidden in a kennel.

Lacey Has One Important Rule.

She's still learning to trust. And Lacey would like everybody to know that she prefers to keep all four paws firmly attached to Planet Earth. She does not like being picked up—even by people she knows. But give her time to feel safe and an entirely different little dog appears. Apparently, Laps Are Acceptable. 

One of Lacey's favorite places is curled up with her foster mom, particularly when there are what have been described as some exceptionally good booty rubs involved. She's affectionate. She's cuddly.

And she's beginning to discover that humans can be pretty wonderful once you find the right ones. There is, however, "The Developing Toy Situation". Lacey has also discovered toys.

More specifically, she has discovered that she would like to own all of them.

Her foster brothers apparently haven't been consulted on this new household policy. Lacey has become quite the toy collector, racing around to grab as many as possible before anybody else gets the opportunity. Call it hoarding. Call it strategic acquisition.

Lacey calls it Tuesday. She's Discovering the Good Life

And apparently one of the greatest inventions in human history—at least according to Lacey—is the automobile. She loves car rides.

Put all of that together and the timid little dog who first arrived at 

Rescue Garage sees this transformation regularly. 

And someone with a lap available for a small dog who has finally figured out how nice cuddling can be. If that's you, Lacey might finally be ready to stop waiting.

Could Lacey Be Yours?

If you'd like to meet Lacey, start with the Rescue Garage adoption page. You can also go directly to the official Rescue Garage dog adoption application and list Lacey as the dog you're interested in meeting.

Rescue Garage is located in North Port and arranges visits and meet-and-greets by appointment. The organization strongly encourages prospective adopters to have an approved application on file before scheduling a visit. You can find additional information on the Rescue Garage contact page.

Sometimes the dog who has waited the longest isn't the dog nobody wanted. She's simply the dog who hasn't met her person yet.

Maybe Lacey just did. ❤️