ARLINGTON, Vt. — Orion's had a hard live and he's been patiently waiting a very long time for his forever home.

 

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

 

Orion is a 7- to 8-year-old pit bull mix who has been at Second Chance Animal Shelter since 2021.

 

Shelter Manager Troy Quinn said Orion came to them from animal control after experiencing neglect.

 

"He was found by animal control on a property, tied to a tree, no shelter, no food or water. He was severely emaciated, very sick, very skinny, very weak. Brought him in, he tested positive for heartworm," Quinn said.

 

Once they rescued him, got rid of his heartworm, and got him up to normal weight, his silly and active side came out.

 

"He is a giant goofball. Loves to run, loves to play very rough house, loves to chew on his toys. Stuffed toys in particular, he just immediately shreds them," Quinn said. 

 

Orion loves to play tug-of-war and is quite strong, which is why the shelter recommends he go to a home with older children. They also recommend no cats but he might be good with a female dog.

 

"Definitely has a bit of prey drive, likes to chase kitty cats, so we're recommending no kitty cats, and just with his rough-housingness and lack of history, and neglect, recommending teenage children, just because he does need still quite a bit of work, and it's tough to do in a shelter setting, just because they're so pent up," she said. "So we try to focus on just enrichment, keeping them happy, keeping them composed."

 

Orion has worked hard to be better on the leash and getting his checkups. But he's no fan of taking a bath.

 

"He definitely does better with a harness, a specific no-pull harness," Quinn said. "He still hates the bath, so we just kind of use wet wipes and kind of sponge-bath stuff. But he used to be just terrible for his vaccinations, and now he's actually very good for it. He lets us put his flea and tick stuff on."