Eastern Iowa dog finds forever home after spending 900 days at shelter

Sometimes, it can take a while for a pet to find a forever home. But for one dog in eastern Iowa it took more than two years.

Just looking at Leo puts a big smile on your face. He spends lots of time going for walks and getting exercise in the backyard with owner David Evens in Urbana.

He likes to chase a few of the birds, too.

But it hasn't always been an easy road for Leo. Just a few years ago, he was on the verge of being euthanized at a rescue operation in Sioux City.

That's when Linda Reynolds with Dogs Forever in Cedar Rapids stepped in.

"We said we would take him and I met the person that was transporting him in Webster City on Aug. 10, 2017, and brought him to Dogs Forever," she said.

Leo waited...waited...and waited, but his demeanor made it difficult for him to find a family.

But Linda never gave up.

Then, on Christmas Eve 2019, 900 days since Leo came to Cedar Rapids, David found Leo on the Dogs Forever website.

From then until March 2020, Dave worked with a trainer to become best friends with Leo and calm him down. But Dave still had to fulfill a few requirements before Leo could come home to Urbana.

"He said he was willing to put a fence in, he was willing to put the kennel inside," Reynolds said. "We asked him to work with Mike our trainer for a month...he worked with him for three months."

For David, Leo helps to fill a personal void.

"I went through a breakup and needed an animal to spend time with," he said. "No loneliness now."

And he helps around the house, too.

"Keeps the birds away and the rabbits," David said.