Dog sneaks out of shelter to visit nursing home

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 18: A dog is kept in a cage at the Harris County Pets animal shelter on July 18, 2022 in Houston, Texas. The shelter has reported being over-capacity and under staffed as a steady increase of animal returns and rescues overwhelms the facility. "This facility comfortably holds approximately 250-275 dogs, but as of this morning we had about 380 dogs in here...We have limited staffing resources and we want to maintain humane conditions, so that's why its important for us to find a positive outcome for this overcrowding," says Education and Outreach Manager Shannon Parker. Animal shelters around the country are seeing an influx of returned pets, and shelters are reporting being over-capacity and under-staffed due to factors including rescues, fewer adoptions and people returning to work as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 18: A dog is kept in a cage at the Harris County Pets animal shelter on July 18, 2022 in Houston, Texas. The shelter has reported being over-capacity and under staffed as a steady increase of animal returns and rescues overwhelms the facility. "This facility comfortably holds approximately 250-275 dogs, but as of this morning we had about 380 dogs in here...We have limited staffing resources and we want to maintain humane conditions, so that's why its important for us to find a positive outcome for this overcrowding," says Education and Outreach Manager Shannon Parker. Animal shelters around the country are seeing an influx of returned pets, and shelters are reporting being over-capacity and under-staffed due to factors including rescues, fewer adoptions and people returning to work as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

A shelter dog is getting a new lease on life with the help of a nursing home. After repeatedly breaking out of the shelter, this pup has a new home and purpose.

An abused, abandoned dog, decided that he was tired of the shelter life. This pup kept breaking out and going to visit the local nursing home. The nurses would call and let them know that their dog was in the facility, but when it kept happening they decided maybe he was where he needed to be.

The pup goes by the name Scout, and after continually breaking out of a Michigan shelter, he now has a new home at the nursing home.

Shelter dog finds new home at a nursing home after daring escapes lead him to new life

According to the Detroit Free Press, the first time that Scout broke out of the shelter, a nurse found him on a couch at the nursing home and called to let them know that a dog had broken in. That was when the shelter staff figured out that the pup had actually broken out of their facility and a sheriff went to pick him up and brought him back. However, a few nights later, it seems as if Scout was tired of the shelter life and ready to go back to the nursing home.

"A few nights later there was Scout, back on that same couch in the nursing home lobby. Somehow he again scaled a 10-foot chain-link fence, then a 6-foot solid privacy fence, crossed a highway without getting run over, entered the front door unnoticed, jumped onto the same couch as before and made himself at home for the night."

The same cycle happens, and he was once again returned to the rescue. But when it kept happening, the nurses decided that there must be a reason for him to be there. And now, the nursing home has a new dog.

Scout was formally adopted by the staff and he gets to stay where it is clear that he wanted to be to begin with. And it seems as if the residents of this nursing home are happy to have the pup with them.

"Scout has free rein here at Glacier Hill, which houses about 20 seniors. He wanders the halls at will, lies down wherever he wishes and visits residents whenever the mood strikes him. He learned how to get into their rooms by jumping up and using his paw to pull down on door handles. And he knows which residents keep dog biscuits in their walkers to give to him."

For a lot of reasons, this is a beautiful story. Not only is this dog off of the street and getting to live their best life, but at the same time they have a beautiful purpose. They get the chance to offer comfort to people at the end of their lives. And at the same time, this pup no longer has to fear whatever led him to the streets and the shelter.