Hank is a one-year-old Labrador Retriever mix who has never met a stranger in his life.

My encounter with Hank was pure chance.

If you’ve been reading my site for a while, you probably know that my favorite pup at the shelter right now is Koko, a Siberian Husky I walk every week.

While getting Koko ready for our usual stroll, I noticed she and Maleficent, her kennel mate, had a new roommate.

This third companion was the handsome Hank.

With Koko leashed and eager to explore, and Maleficent who was excited to go outside with my walking buddy, poor Hank was left behind.

To say my walking buddy and I felt bad for him would be an understatement.

We immediately decided who would be next on our list to walk!

After returning Koko and Maleficent to their kennel, we found Hank lying in the middle of the room.

He perked up when he saw his friends come back, but his excitement reached a whole new level when he realized it was his turn to venture outside.

My buddy walked another dog who was desperately needing a change of scenery due to escalating barrier reactivity.

Since my friend was familiar with that dog’s personality, they felt confident about handling him.

Meanwhile, I leashed up Hank, who greeted me with an enthusiastic shower of kisses.

The moment we stepped outside, Hank’s playful puppy energy shone through.

He jumped up in search of affection, and I was more than happy to indulge him.

Why this sweet boy has been at the shelter for 105 days is beyond me.

I couldn’t take any clear photos of him, he was always moving or jumping up on me when I tried to capture a photo of him. lol

Our walk was delightful.

Hank stopped to greet every person we passed with wagging enthusiasm.

And as a big bonus, he didn’t bark at other dogs!

Even on a gray, rainy day, Hank managed to brighten the world around him.

His cheerful demeanor felt like a ray of sunshine cutting through the gloom.

Here’s a candid photo of Hank sitting calmly with me, taken by my buddy without me noticing:

I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to experience Hank’s bubbly personality.

It makes the next part of this story even sweeter: a couple of days later, Hank was rescued!

Happy tails and joyful hearts all around!

I hope Hank will experience many wonderful adventures in his new chapter!

Visit here to checkout the other animals at the GP Animal Shelter.

Don’t live near this city, consider visiting your local animal shelter to receive and provide love to an animal in need.

This adventure took place on December 15, 2024