Shelter Me: Pennsylvania SPCA

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Meet Pretty Girl, a dog who finally found her home after 3 long years in a shelter.

When Josie Villari decided it was time to bring a dog into her home, she wanted to make a difference.

She said, "I said who was here the longest and it was her. And I said let's focus on working on her then."

Pretty Girl had been at the Pennsylvania SPCA for 3 years, and before that, she was living in deplorable conditions.

Josie said, "I just don't think she had the exposure to people to normal everyday things and that's why I think she's so shy. Everything's scary."

Josie takes Pretty Girl to work every day to calm her fears.

"At first she wouldn't come out of her run at all, but now she comes out and greets everybody and has her few people that she likes to cling to, said Josie.

Pretty Girl was a member of what the PSCPA calls The Lonely Hearts Club, an effort to get long-term shelter residents into loving homes.

Some of them have been here for multiple years and just have been overlooked.

On February 12th they're hosting a Lonely Hearts club meet and greet at their Fishtown Location and the adoption fees will be waived until the 18th.

Gillian Kocher, Director of Public Relations and Marketing, PSPCA says, "We see these dogs for who they really are, but sometimes people walk by their kennels and they can't see their personalities, so we're hoping that this also does that."

If you're interested in the other animals in the video, Iris, Ace, Coco, or Boy Boy, you can visit the Pennsylvania SPCA website.

And, if you'd like us to share your shelter success stories, post a picture to the FYI Philly Facebook page using #6abcShelterMe and tell us where you adopted your pet and how much they mean to you.

Action News will feature your stories in upcoming Shelter Me segments.