Gator the German shepherd took months to recover from ‘horrible neglect.’ He needs a new home

Animal shelters are windows into the essence of who we are as people.

Some people’s compassion extends beyond our human family to include love and kindness for their animal companions.

At the other end of the spectrum are those whose commitment to their animals is essentially limited to their impulse to acquire a pet.

When Gator arrived at the San Luis Obispo County Animal Services shelter in February, he was severely underweight with a sparse coat and skin infections. Poor Gator was miserable.

Thankfully, shelter staff made the commitment to give him therapeutic baths and medication.

Still it took four months for Gator to recover from his horrible neglect.

Thankfully, he’s now healthy and ready for a lifelong home.

Gator is an approximately 7-year-old German shepherd who believes people are good, so he joyfully welcomes visitors at his kennel gate.

Once outside, Gator demonstrates his ease on a leash, his desire to be loved and his appreciation of belly rubs.

Having lived in the shelter for so long — with little exposure to the real world — Gator is ideal for a simple life as an only pet.

He needs an adopter who’s able to give him the love and consistency he needs, so he knows he has a loving home for life.

Gator is a survivor looking for someone who understands that nurturing the spirit heals the heart.

For more information about Gator (ID No. 276421), call the volunteer line at the San Luis Obispo County Animal Services shelter at 805-781-4400 or visit www.slocounty.ca.gov/aserv. The shelter is located at 885 Oklahoma Ave., off Highway 1, in San Luis Obispo.

The full-price adoption fee is $81 for cats and $115 for dogs, plus a $28 county license fee for dogs, if the adopters are San Luis Obispo County residents.

The adoption fee includes a new collar, a spay or neuter operation, basic vaccinations, a microchip and eligibility for a free veterinary check within San Luis Obispo County. Cats also are tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus, and adopters receive a carrier.

This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 5:05 AM.