Riley waits patiently for a treat (Photo by Colton McKee)

By Hayley Ferguson

Rescue Dog

Dog finds forever home after spending a year in shelter

Sep 12, 2019 | 2:51 PM

One long-time shelter dog in Medicine Hat has found her forever home.

“I just started to build a bond with her. And I thought maybe this dog is meant to come home with me.” Said Nicole Stein, who fell in love with Riley while volunteering at the SPCA.

“She was in the shelter, this time, she was there for 233 days. And she had been there sometime previously before. She’d been adopted but it just didn’t work out. So she’d spent a year in the shelter altogether.” She explained.

Stein says that although Riley was a sweet dog, she barked quite a bit in the shelter, which could have given people the wrong impression.

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“I thought ‘oh she’s a barker I better stay away’ when I first met her. And then I started bringing her treats. And I gave her a treat one day, and the next day she didn’t bark at me. So gave her another one the next day, eventually, she started wagging her tail at me.”

It was then she seriously started considering adopting Riley.

“I’ll bring my dog to meet her I thought. And if him and her get along maybe. And I took Finn to meet her a couple of times and they didn’t not get along.” Stein laughed. “I then decided she’s gotta come home with me so she did.”

Stein said it was important for her to give Riley, an 11-year-old, a home to spend her final years.

“She’s not going back there because she’s had too much of that in her life. And she’s 11 and a half years old and I wanted her to live out her golden years in a home and with a yard.” She said.

Stein is hopeful that more people will consider adopting an older dog.

“Their much more wanting to please. They are very thankful. They seem to recognize that you saved them and they are very, very thankful for that.” She said, petting Riley. “And they want to make you happy. And it’s a different experience. I’ve never rescued before but I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

The SPCA is hosting its Steak Night Fundraiser at Ralph’s Texas Bar & Steak House on September 19th. Tickets can be purchased at the Shelter at 55 Southwest Drive SW.