by Nou Her

Valley Animal Center is going to be doing a monthly column in KRL. Nou Her is a member of their marketing team.

Meet Darius, a Boxer mix full of muscle and love who was rescued in 2014 from City of San Joaquin when he was still an itty-bitty puppy by Valley Animal Center, a local nonprofit no-kill animal rescue.

A little over a year later in 2015, Darius was adopted only to be returned not even a month later because he was too “hyper.” He was adopted again in 2016. Sadly, this would not be Darius’s furever home. He was returned in 2020 because his owners were moving into a home where no pets were allowed. He has been in our care ever since and grows older each year as he waits for his new furever home. Today, he is eight years old and will celebrate his ninth birthday this August 20.

Darius

It has been difficult to find a home for Darius as he needs a certain environment. Darius has only ever been around adults so he needs a mature household and would also need to be an only pet, no other dogs, or cats. Once you get to know Darius, however, many will find he is just an excited dog who loves life and adores water. He would be a great traveling companion in the daytime and a warm snuggle buddy in the nighttime.

Potential adopters’ first impression of Darius is often of him spinning around in his kennel, barking loudly. This isn’t him being aggressive but is a rather common sign of stress, something we see in our long-term resident dogs such as Darius who have spent a long time in a kennel setting. He has been with us for two years and counting. For him, anytime someone comes through the adoption doors, he desperately wants it to be the time when he’s chosen.

If anyone’s interested in learning more about Darius or meeting him, you can find Valley Animal Center’s adoption information HERE. Their adoption center is located at 3934 N. Hayston Ave., Fresno, California 93726 and open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In the meantime, however, a simple way to support animals like Darius who have been living in a shelter setting for a long time, is to donate $50 (or more!) to Valley Animal Center’s Fun(d) in the Sun fundraiser. This is an annual, month-long fundraiser happening in June to raise funds to support dogs, like Darius, and cats who don’t have a furever home to enjoy the summer in.

Donate HERE.

Donations are used for enrichment services Valley Animal Center offers their dogs and cats such as puzzle toys, training, and outdoor play time. Many of these services are especially crucial during the summer months when the days are longer, and the animals need more than just a kennel to expend their energy.

Valley Animal Center’s mission is to unite dogs and cats with loving people but for the animals who are still waiting for their furever homes, donations go a long way in ensuring they are given quality care during their time with us, no matter how long it is. It’s possible Darius will be adopted in the next few days, but it’s also possible he may be here for another year. No matter what, Valley Animal Center is dedicated to maintaining Darius’s physical and mental health.

Text “FundintheSun” to (559) 354-3636 to donate.
Website: www.valleyanimal.org
Email: info@valleyanimal[dot]org

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every other month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.