He was just so happy to be safe.
Cheech was picked up on the streets of Texas and taken to a big local shelter when he was 2 years old. He was then pulled and taken in by the City of Waller Animal Shelter and Rescue. He was incredibly tiny, and staff assumed he might be a little scared or nervous in his new environment — but Cheech quickly proved them wrong.
Cheech was hanging out in his kennel shortly after arriving at the shelter and started making the cutest, weirdest face. Some of the staff and volunteers thought he might be upset rather than just being goofy …
… but Cheech quickly flashed them the cutest, cheekiest smile, and from that moment on, everyone fell in love with the charismatic little dog.
“I went into the kennel to check him out and yelled for the other volunteers to come look,” Leah Sipe, director of the City of Waller Animal Shelter and Rescue, told The Dodo. “They thought I was insane and that he was snarling, when I stuck my hand in the cage I thought they were going to pass out. He’s as friendly as can be!”
Wanting to share Cheech’s perfect smile with the whole world, Sipe posted a photo of him smiling on the shelter’s Facebook page — and the internet quickly fell in love. The post got over 7,000 shares, and before long, the smiling dog had over 50 applications from people wanting to adopt him.
The shelter was thrilled that little Cheech had so many people who wanted to welcome him into their families …
… and, of course, so was Cheech.
After sifting through the crazy number of applications that Cheech got, the staff came across the perfect one. An applicant had just lost one of her dogs to cancer, and her remaining dog, Dusty, was absolutely beside himself with grief. He desperately needed a new friend to help him through this difficult time …
… and after meeting Cheech, it became clear that the pair were going to be perfect for each other. All Cheech wanted to do was cuddle with Dusty and his mom, and everyone who knows Cheech is so thrilled that he’s found the perfect family.
The City of Waller Animal Shelter and Rescue is brand new, and is currently being built and renovated from an old jail. The shelter officially opens its doors on November 12th, and thanks to Cheech and his winning smile, the pups at the shelter will not doubt have lots of potential adopters lined up when it finally opens.
