If there’s anyone who could really use a soft place to land, it’s Charlie.

This big man has been through a lot in his almost five years… and you can see it all over his face as he rests in his kennel. He was surrendered to us when his beloved owner — undoubtedly the center of his universe — passed away. He’s been mourning that loss in our company for a little over a month now. His big, sad brown eyes let us know how much he misses the comfort of his person and his home… and while we do our best to shower him with love and affection, we know it’s just not the same.

It’s a not-so-well-kept secret around here that this guy’s 105-pound frame houses one of the most tender hearts you’ll ever encounter. It’s truly worth its weight in gold. He’s the type of guy that loves his people with every single fiber of his being and will work hard every day to make sure they know it.

Whenever he’s taken out of his kennel and he realizes he has someone to love on for a bit, it’s like everything is put back in alignment. The worry melts away and his eyes light up like the sky on the Fourth of July. For Charlie, although the world has felt dark for a little while, he still sees the good. He still has hope that someone out there will choose him and love him and let him love them right back.

Loving people, after all, is his very favorite thing to do. Well, that and getting belly rubs.

As you can imagine, losing his beloved owner and now having to navigate this new reality in the shelter has been incredibly hard on his sweet, sensitive soul.

We’d love to connect this kindhearted boy with an equally lovely family that will encourage him to just be a dog. It appears as though he has had little socialization toward new things, environments and animals, so he has a certain level of anxiety around unfamiliar situations. Whenever he’s feeling uncertain, he immediately seeks out comfort from his humans — sometimes even transforming into a 105-pound lap dog! He’s very insecure and feels everything really deeply. He has no shame in asking for some support, but does so in a gentle fashion.

As this guy awaits his forever, we’ve been making the most out of our time with him — which is such a treat for us because he’s just a gem of a dog. Charlie behaves in a way that tells us he simply has not had exposure to other dogs. Our team has been working diligently to slowly introduce him to other dogs so he can learn how to regulate his excitement and be more socially appropriate.

Charlie does not have experience living with dogs, cats or children and we believe he would thrive in a home without other pets. If you think Charlie would make a perfect addition to your family and you already have a resident dog, we would require multiple dog-dog introductions to ensure everyone is safe and comfortable together before sending him home.

If you’re looking for your forever best friend — the kind of dog you’ll compare all others to for the rest of your life — please stop by and ask about Charlie. We’d love to get this sweet guy home.

More on Charlie

This Pet of the Week is brought to you by our generous Furball Friend Sponsor, Elevator Engineering!