At the rescue center, an affectionate dog reaches out to hold the hand of anyone passing by, yearning for connection and friendship.lqh

Let’s face it—animals hate being trapped in kennels and it shows. Limited playtime and lack of attention can have a negative effect on their mental health and physical health. That’s why shelters are doing their best to get pets adopted as fast as possible so animals can enjoy the love and attention they deserve. Some pets take matters into their own paws and do whatever they can to draw people’s attention in hopes of finally finding that furever home. One of those pets is Speck, who went viral for liking to hold hands with everyone who passes by his kennel.

The director of The Bullock County Humane Society, Desiray Miracle-Wilder, told Bored Panda that Speck is approximately 2 years old and was surrendered to the shelter by his previous owner. “Speck has been in the shelter since the fall of 2018. Just over a year and a half,” she said.

Every time he sees a human walking by, the adorable doggo stretches his paw out and gives them a warm greeting. Speck loves to hold hands with humans despite being separated from them by metal bars. “Speck LOVES human interaction! He cannot get enough love from anyone willing to stop and take his paw or rub his belly. He knows how to pull at your heartstrings when you busy. He pushed his muzzle through the bars of his kennel looks out with his puppy dog eyes and reaches for you to hold his hand. Speck’s love language is defiantly physical touch.”

It makes him even happier if a person gives him some pats or scratches his belly. Clearly, all this friendly dog wants is a good home with a loving family and he does his best to get it! “Speck had my heart on day one of interacting with him. My family honestly could not understand how or why such an amazing dog had been forgotten and overlooked in the shelter. The moment he reached his paw out to myself, then my husband, and my daughters I knew I needed to show the world this beautiful boy. However I did not expect the world to see his video at this scale,” Desiray said.

Recently, the good boy Speck got very lucky. After Desiray filmed him holding hands and shared the video with the world it quickly went viral. ” I was overloaded with friend’s request and messages on my social media wanting to adopt Speck. A few people that knew they could not adopt sent gifts to the shelter such as dog food, collars, and even a water hose. Without people willing to help our shelter we could not care for our fur babies.” After becoming a viral success, it didn’t take long for him to get adopted. “I was able to find the perfect home for Speck in upstate New York with his new human Dad Mike on a 26-acre farm. However, with our very limited recourses, I wasn’t sure how to get Speck all the way to NY on my own. This is when a wonderful rescue group stepped in to help. Speck was rescued by Allie’s Hope for Paws in Alabama and they are currently organizing his transport to NY while he is in a wonderful foster home,” Desiray said.

The Bullock County Humane Society located in Union Springs, AL is hoping to help out many other adorable pets just like Speck. However, just like any other small non-profit shelter, they rely on donations to continue rescuing and taking care of animals. “Without help from our community and donations, we could not stay in operation. We currently have dogs that have been in the shelter for 2 plus years that still need a FurEver home,” said the shelter’s director. If your interested in lending a helping hand to this shelter, please reach out to them on Bullock County Humane Society Facebook page.