Allegan, MI (WXMI) — A dog at the Allegan County Animal Shelter is about to celebrate his fourth birthday and his only wish is to find a loving home.

In just over a week, Rudy will turn 4 years old, but for nearly a quarter of his life, he’s been in the shelter and it’s starting to take a toll on him.

“He loves people he loves attention, he loves pets walks and loves tennis balls, you could throw a tennis ball all day for him and he would go and get it every single time,” Animal Assessor Kate Rouster said.

Rudy is still a big ball of energy, but his time in the shelter is starting to weigh on him.

“He’s mentally not holding up as well as some of the other dogs because he’s been here so long,” Rouster added.

As of Saturday, Rudy has been in the shelter for 341 days, next month it will be a full year.

“It’s really important to not meet that one year mark because that’s just so stressful for them,” Allegan County Animal Shelter Director Susan Smith said.

“He needs a little bit of training and a little bit of work, that’s Rudy, he’s wonderful dog, he loves people, he absolutely loves people,” Smith added.

Rudy loves people so much, he might have deterred some adopters in the past.

“We’ve been trying to got him a home, he tends to come out with a lot of gang-buster like ‘Hey! I’m Rudy I’m here,'” Smith explained.

But Smith says he’d be the perfect fit for someone who can give him the attention he deserves.

They’re hoping he wont be celebrating his fourth birthday in the shelter.

The shelter says he’s best in a home that doesn’t have cats or dogs and no kids under the age of 12.

For more information on Rudy or if you are interested in adopting him, click here (petfinder.com/dog/rudy-43373265/mi/allegan/allegan-county-animal-shelter-operated-by-wishbone-pet-rescue-alliance-mi299).

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