“Britain’s most unwanted dog” searching for a home after 5 years in the shelter

Every shelter dog dreams of getting adopted, but it takes some longer than others. Some pets wait months or even years before finding their forever home.

That’s the case for one shelter dog named Mason, who after 5 long years in the shelter has been dubbed “Britain’s most unwanted dog.” But now, he’s hoping to finally find a home of his own.

Mason, an eight-year-old German Shepherd mix, has been at Hilbrae Rescue Kennels, in Shropshire, England, since he was picked up as a stray in 2019. It’s not clear what his life was like before then, but he was found chained up and abandoned with no food or water, according to a Facebook post.

Since then, Mason has struggled to find a home. He was rehomed twice, but neither situation worked out due to behavioral issues. Since then, he has worked with a trainer, who has done wonders improving Mason’s behavior.

“Mason used to grab onto the lead and rag it out of frustration, mason can now walk without a muzzle no problem, but he still wears one just as a precaution, as he does like to eat everything in site, part hoover, part dog,” the shelter wrote. “Mason doesn’t mind wearing a muzzle and he gets so many praises for being an amazing boy.”

Hilbrae Rescue Kennels has continued to search for a forever home for Mason, ideally in one in an adults-only home with no other pets, but they’ve had no success.

After nearly 5 years of waiting, Mason, who was 2-3 years old when he was taken in and is now 8, has spent the majority of his life in the shelter. Media outlets have dubbed him Britain’s “most unwanted dog.”

But shelter staff continue to hold out hope that there’s a home out there for him somewhere, and say that it can take time for big dogs like Mason to get adopted compared to his smaller counterparts.

“He is a big dog but he is really affectionate when he learns to trust somebody. He just keeps being overlooked and now he’s eight,” Marty Burrell, who runs the kennels, told SWNS. “We find bigger dogs do get overlooked more but not to this extent. Smaller dogs can be rehomed in a week. It may be due to the cost of living or people having smaller houses – but poor Mason is still here.”

“He has a really loving nature,” she added. “He is a big dog, but not a dangerous dog. He was very wary and distrustful at first but we have worked to gain his trust.”

No dog should have to spend their whole life waiting in a shelter, and we hope this “most unwanted dog” finally finds his forever home soon 😢❤️

If you are in the area and interested in adopting Mason, you can contact Hilbrae Rescue Kennels for more info! If not, be sure to share this story to spread the word about him!