He waited for three years. He was returned twice, and spent much of his journey waiting for someone to truly love him. BarkingMad’s team refused to give up on him, and eventually, their efforts to find him a loving home paid off.
In April 2023, six-year-old Hashbrown (Labrador/Wirehaired Terrier mix) and his brother were put up for adoption after their family made the decision to emigrate. The family began looking to rehome the pair more than a year before their planned move, a responsible decision that gave BarkingMad time to help find the brothers a family who would welcome them.
But finding the right home for two large crossbreed dogs was never going to be simple.
For six months, Hashbrown and his brother waited while the BarkingMad team searched, sharing their story and looking for the family who would give them the second chapter they deserved.
Eventually, that day came.
The brothers were adopted together, and the BarkingMad team said goodbye with the hope that they had finally found their forever home.
We wish the story ended there.
Major changes can be difficult for animals, and a few weeks after being adopted, their new family reached out. The brothers had been fighting terribly, and despite everyone’s best efforts, the situation was not working. The difficult decision was made to return Hashbrown, who was instigating the fights, while his brother remained in the home.
Once again, Hashbrown found himself without a family.
Dogtown became his new home. As a shelter dedicated to the holistic wellbeing of the animals in its care, Dogtown gave Hashbrown endless love, enrichment and training, while BarkingMad continued the search to find him a home of his own.
Eventually, a family showed interest in Hashbrown and decided to adopt him. It seemed that his long wait might finally be over.
But this time, the challenge was different.
His new home had cats, and although Hashbrown is accepting of feline companions, his new family was too nervous to introduce him to them.
After just one day, Hashbrown was returned to Dogtown.
Two adoptions. Two returns.
For a dog who had already experienced so much change, it would have been easy to lose hope. But the BarkingMad team didn’t stop sharing him. They continued networking Hashbrown far and wide, believing that somewhere out there was the person who would choose him.
Then, just one month after his second return to Dogtown, an enquiry came through.
A wonderful woman had seen Hashbrown and wanted to meet him.
She came to Dogtown, spent time with him, and fell in love.
This time, something was different.
Hashbrown was no longer waiting.
After three years of waiting, two returns and countless people sharing his story, he had finally found the person who was ready to choose him.
The right home had not been the first one, or the second. It had taken patience, perseverance and an entire network of people who refused to give up on him.
Hashbrown’s journey is a reminder that sometimes a happy ending takes longer than we hoped. It is also a testament to the power of sharing animals in need of homes. Every post, every conversation and every person who passes an animal’s story along could be the connection that changes everything.
For Hashbrown, it was.
After years of waiting, this beautiful boy finally found what he had been searching for all along: someone who chose him, loved him, and brought him home.
Welcome home, Hashbrown ❤️
