Tommie Bear in Houston, Texas, sleeps quietly on his bed and hardly notices anyone passing by his shelter cage. The heartbroken puppy was returned to Harris County Pets after only a few months.

Tommie Bear was a stray who came into the shelter in June 2020; he had a microchip and was on a six-day contact owner hold. Two people wanted to adopt him, so the dog’s first new owner gave him to another family, who either let him run free or returned him to the shelter.

So, four months later, Tommie Bear, who has had little human interaction or positive behavioral reinforcement, is a sad and unhappy pup, knowing he is back at the shelter, surrounded by loud noises, unfamiliar people, and an uncertain future.

“… The adopter believes he gets very protective of the person-owner and may be unsuitable for children. Dogs, particularly this breed, require constant guidance and leadership.

Look at him in this video: he’s stunned, depressed, and has no idea what he did wrong…

“It makes me sad and concerned, and that’s why I feel he needs a rescue to monitor his adoption this time, because adopters lack experience, and Tommie doesn’t deserve to be terminated again in this manner,” a shelter volunteer said.

Here are a few shelter notes from Tommie Bear’s bad luck:

LAST UPDATE 10/22: BEAR ALIAS TOMMIE KS RETURNED AFTER JUST A FEW MONTHS OF ADOPTION! He needs a new home, and this time it should be a great one! Please share another!

UPDATE 7/9: We’re sorry, but it looks Tommie will not be leaving; we’re not sure why the email said he was adopted yesterday, but he’s now back on adoption hold, so we’re still waiting for the final word! I’ll call you tomorrow for further details to keep everyone informed.

-UPDATE 7/6: HE IS STILL ON HOLD FOR ADOPTION…he hasn’t yet left the shelter, so we’ll keep an eye on him until he’s adopted.

-UPDATE 6/29: TOMMY IS STILL ON HOLD FOR HIS CHIP, BUT HAS TWO ADOPTORS IN LINE…waiting to adopt him.

The most essential aspect of the narrative is that Tommy was adopted by a loving family that believed in him and treated him as a legitimate part of the family.

“My family and I got our bear a week ago, and he’s doing well!” Tommie Bear’s new mom stated, “He’s a gigantic hugging bear, and his name fits him wonderfully.”