06 May 10K Lives Saved: Bentley’s Adoption Story
Bentley (formerly known as Roscoe Bentley) was rescued in Pine Bluff, AR by one of Last Hope K9 Rescue’s partners, Rescue Road, in October 2020.
Bentley arrived in Massachusetts in November 2020 and was fostered by Meg, one of LHK9’s long-term fosters. Even though he was only with Meg for 2 weeks, Bentley made a lasting impression because he was the first of 56 foster dogs to truly bond with Meg’s 6-year-old daughter, Londyn. Bentley was always by her side whether they were playing or snuggling. On his very first night he followed Meg as she put Londyn to bed and as Meg was walking out of the room Bentley looked at her, looked at the bed, then jumped right in to snuggle up with Londyn. Truly a heart melting moment!
Bentley’s potential adopter, Chantal, started looking for a dog at the request of her daughter in March 2020, but rescue dogs were in high demand during the pandemic and all the local shelters were empty. Before finding LHK9, Chantal spent 8 months searching with nothing other than 93 applications, 0 responses, a very disappointed kid, and lots of frustration to show for it. About a month after applying with LHK9, Chantal and her family were matched with Bentley.
As sweet as Bentley could be at home, he wasn’t the best at meeting new people, and he lived up to his reputation during his first meet and greet. Since Bentley was so good with Londyn, it seemed as though Chantal’s family and young daughter would be a great match, but at the meet and greet Bentley barked at the family for at least an hour. Chantal and her family were patient throughout the meet and greet and gave Bentley time to get used to them. Once Bentley saw Londyn and Chantal’s daughter playing together, he started to warm up and interact more with the family who saw how sweet Bentley truly was despite his bad manners. Bentley had found his new home!
Even though adopting a fearful dog can be tough, Bentley’s family was 100% committed to working with him and giving him the love and structure he needed. They worked with a trainer and, after just 6 sessions, Bentley is walking on a leash without pulling and is overall a much more confident and happier dog. In Chantal’s words “Bentley has been the one good thing to have happened for us in the last year.”
To help us save more dogs like Bentley, please donate to our $10k for 10k fundraiser.
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