Unique Pittie Returned 6 Times To Shelter Finally Finds A Forever Home

Meet Theo, a pit bull with an unusual genetic condition that gives him long, fluffy fur. The rare mutation makes him look like a teddy bear in a pit bull’s body — but it didn’t make finding a home any easier.

Theo was returned to the animal shelter six times before finally finding his forever home with Joanna.

Theo’s long coat is caused by a mutation in the FGF5 gene. Joanna jokes that he has “the face of a pittie and the body of a teddy bear.” What she later learned was that Theo had been an accident, and his original owner wasn’t able to care for him.

When Joanna visited the shelter and asked which dog had been there the longest, staff introduced her to Theo. She immediately noticed the sadness in his eyes. After bringing him home, Theo paced constantly and lingered by the door, unsure of what was happening — a behavior Joanna believes came from being returned so many times.

But with time, patience, and love, everything changed.

Now, Theo feels safe. The pacing is gone, the uncertainty has faded, and Joanna says he has no behavioral issues at all — just a gentle, affectionate dog who has finally learned he’s home.

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