Dog Stuck In Shelter For More Than 2,000 Days Has The Most Heartbreaking Behavior

Thousands of dogs worldwide spend months or even years in shelters, awaiting a cozier and more spacious environment with a loving family. Sadly, many develop behavioral issues as a result of living in a kennel surrounded by barking and other loud, invasive sounds. Referred to as kennel stress, these disorders lead to a range of coping mechanisms, some of which involve various objects comparable to a Linus blanket. But a shelter dog in Long Island, New York, named Wally chose an unusual item to ease his woes: a metal dog bowl.

In March 2025, a volunteer at the shelter wrote on Instagram that Wally "paces back and forth with his emotional support bowl." Pacing is a common sign that a dog is stressed. Described as a "sweet and playful 7.5-year-old terrier mix," Wally has lived at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter (TOHAS) for most of his life since 2019. He left the shelter on two separate occasions but was returned both times despite being a lovable, playful pup that knows basic commands. Altogether, he's spent more than 2,000 days at this shelter.

The metal bowl might be Wally's favorite comfort item, but he also loves chew toys, treats, and fetch toys for dogs. The most recent Instagram update about him shows Wally outside of his kennel, happily enjoying a head scratch, retrieving a ball, and chewing on his rope toy. As of April 22, Wally is still awaiting his furr-ever home. The shelter describes him as an "energetic" but "timid dog" that would thrive in a quiet home with family members over the age of 17.

This might be your first time seeing a pet with an emotional attachment to a bowl, but Wally isn't the only dog to exhibit this behavior. Volunteers at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter assume his reason stems from anxiety and kennel stress, but other dogs have different reasons. A beagle rescue shared a video on Instagram about a dog named Arlo that grew up in a laboratory, where dogs aren't typically given toys or pet blankets to keep the dogs warm. It seems the bowl was his only option for comfort, causing him to form an emotional attachment to it.

A Dalmation owner shared photos of her canine companion, Koda, on Facebook with his mint-green "emotional support bowl." While Wally's and Arlo's attachments to their bowls stem from heartbreaking backstories, Koda seems to be humorously overreacting as he longs for his next meal prematurely. "My dogs always act like they are starving and denied food," the caption reads.

Charlie is another dog known for carrying around his emotional support bowl. K9 Club, an urban pet care center in Michigan, shared on Instagram what appears to be a clip from a daycare play session involving about 10 dogs. One dog has a ball in its mouth, but Charlie prefers his stainless steel bowl as he trots across the room. However, the reasons for his attachment are unclear.