After 445 days at KC shelter, Mastiff mix finally lands home

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- A big Mastiff mix with droopy eyes that endured a heartbreakingly long stay at Kansas City animal shelter has finally found a home.

After 445 days at the Kansas City Pet Project shelter, where more than 10,000 pets pass through annually, Polina was finally adopted.

The Kansas City Star wrote about Polina's plight earlier this month. She was sweet but always left behind when one prospective pet owner after another adopted other rescue animals, largely because Polina is scared of other dogs and children.

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But after the Star story, several people stepped forward to adopt Polina. Ultimately, she went to a Kansas City home where she can roam 3 acres of land and sleep on a large, warm bed.

KC Pet Project staff chose Polina's new family after talking with them and visiting the home.

"She has gone through so much," Tori Fugate, spokeswoman for the KC Pet Project, said Sunday, when the dog went to her new home, just in time for Christmas.

When it came time to say goodbye, KC Pet Project staff who had known her so long "were crying big, ugly ol' tears," Fugate said. "They loved her so much."

Staff had worked hard to build Polina's confidence, which had been drained. She was found wandering along a street in October 2016.

Polina was among nearly 300 pets adopted from the shelter during the holiday season.

"It's a big Christmas story," Fugate said.