This information was provided by the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.
VANCOUVER — The 1-year-old black lab named Hunter is settling into a new home. Late Saturday, Hunter was adopted by a family that has been waiting for its newest family member for a while.
For those who don’t remember exactly who Hunter the dog is, in early September, Hunter became an overnight sensation on social media after coming to the Humane Society for Southwest Washington (HSSW) as a stray for the second time while his owner, William Jones of Battle Ground, was fighting fires in Eastern Washington. Hunter came without tags or a microchip, which made identifying an owner impossible.
The first time, a friend of the family came and picked up Hunter. The second time, he remained as a stray for six days before being made available for adoption. On his 10th day at the Adoption Center-Shelter, he was adopted by a family. Two days later, Jones saw Hunter on the HSSW Facebook page of nightly adoption success stories. He posted a plea to have Hunter returned and that is how the HSSW came to know that his dog had been adopted.
The community identified with Jones’ story after seeing the Facebook post. Facebook followers took to social media to express their opinion about the importance of pets and people. Over a number of days of consistent social media pressure, the adoptive family returned Hunter to the HSSW. Once William returned from Eastern Washington, he was reunited with Hunter.
Recently, however, on Oct. 14, Hunter was picked up by Clark County Animal Control and brought to the HSSW. Jones was notified that his dog was at the HSSW facility and available for redemption. Hunter has remained at the HSSW since Oct. 14. HSSW staff has had a number of communications with Jones, who has indicated that he was moving out of state and was unable to continue caring for Hunter. The HSSW quietly adopted Hunter into his new family.
“There were many lessons for all of us to learn in this situation,” said Stacey Graham, HSSW president. “The responsibility that comes with loving and caring for companion animals. The power and responsibility of social media and its collective need to assign blame … whether it was HSSW, the adoptive family or now William (Jones). In the end, our mission revolves around the care and concern for Hunter and ensuring that he has a good life. We are committed to good outcomes for all the companion animals that come through our door.”
