After 11 Years In Yonkers Animal Shelter, Pit Bull Olive Has A New Home

After being brought in as a stray 11 years ago, Olive the pit bull has had her share of bad luck. But now, after spending more than a decade in Yonkers Animal Shelter, her fortunes have turned for the better: she’s found a home.

She was adopted three weeks ago, and the story took off on social media. Animal lovers were overjoyed to see Olive going to a forever home after hearing her backstory.

Stuck in an overcrowded shelter with very little foot traffic, Olive had few chances to be seen by a prospective new family. After being born and raised in a shelter, she also required a level of patience and expertise that most prospective owners could not offer. Still, she managed to capture the hearts of shelter volunteers.

“If I didn’t have dogs, I would have adopted Olive myself,” says Pauline Baba, who had been walking Olive every weekend since she first started volunteering in 2007. “She was one of my favorite dogs.”

The search continued for a worthy companion, but in the mean time Olive was faced with the threat of euthanasia. There just wasn’t enough room, and it didn’t help that prospects were grim.

“A good month would be four adoptions,” says Baba. Despite the difficulties involved with finding Olive a home, Yonkers Animal Shelter volunteers refused to give up.

Instead, Adele Conner and several generous dog-lovers chipped in to place Olive in a boarding facility until her forever family could be found. As it turns out, Olive outlived the old Yonkers Animal Shelter, returning to their newer, more spacious location in 2013.

When she returned, shelter volunteers gave their best effort to provide Olive with all the love and attention she deserved – and when that attention took flight on social media, Olive’s fate changed for the better.

“Facebook was really huge—all the exposure. We had over 100 dogs in need of homes,” Baba recalls. “People wanted to help. It made such a big difference.”

Olive’s Facebook fame truly was the key to her success. On September 28th Olive was finally adopted by a woman from Connecticut who preferred not to give her name. After seeing Olive’s story on Facebook she knew it was the perfect match. “I was considering a second dog and her story grabbed my heart,” says Olive’s new mother. “I had seen a few pictures of Olive over the previous months, and there was this one particular picture of her in a pool, and after that I just had to take her home.”

With years of experience working with senior dogs, pit bulls, and ex-fighters, the woman, a veterinary technician, has welcomed Olive into her home with all the love, patience, and delicious treats she could muster. “No dog should live its whole life in a shelter,” she said.

Olive’s new family just celebrated her two week anniversary at home, where she has reportedly settled in nicely. “Our time has been wonderful and her progress has been amazing,” says Olive’s mom, “We love the new adventures she brings to our lives.”

“I couldn’t have asked for a better home for Olive,” says Baba.

Updates on Olive’s new life can be found on her very own Facebook page, Olive Yonkers, which features photos, progress reports, and hundreds of supportive fans.