They say it takes a village to find shelter pups the homes they deserve. Sometimes that even means transporting a dog halfway across the country! After nearly 400 days in our care, we're thrilled to share that sweet Junior is finally on the road to a new beginning!

Junior, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was surrendered to HSVC in September 2024 after his previous owner could no longer care for him. Like most energetic breeds, he struggled to adjust to the stress of shelter life. Junior's time in the kennel led to behaviors commonly seen in shelter dogs, including kennel stress and reactivity. But our staff never gave up hope! They knew there was a home out there for our boy, and they weren't going to rest until they found it!

Fast forward to October 2025, when our staff connected with MAD Rescue - Malinois and Dutch Shepherd Rescue Inc. After hearing Junior's story, the group arranged to transport Junior from our shelter in Ojai, CA, to Grand Junction, Colorado, where his future foster parents awaited his arrival. Judging by the updated photos we've received, we'd say Junior seems pretty happy to be out of the shelter! 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our staff, who dedicated countless hours of love, care, and the occasional t-shirt to keep Junior happy during his time at HSVC. We're grateful to our friends at MAD Rescue for taking a chance on Junior and helping him reach his full potential. Stay tuned for more updates when our boy gets adopted into his forever home!