One pit bull thought she'd hit the jackpot when she was adopted in 2022, only to find herself back in the shelter 11 months later, in search of a forever home once again.

Tic Tac was discovered as a stray in June 2022. After only a month inside New Jersey's Voorhees Animal Orphanage, she was adopted. While the shelter was glad to see Tic Tac find her new home, it wasn't set to last, and before long, she had returned to their care.

Jennifer Bailey from the orphanage was devastated to see Tic Tac return there in July 2023. She told Newsweek that the dog was "initially confused. After all, she had been in a home for almost a year."

A picture of Tic Tac's dejected and confused face was shared on the shelter's Facebook page, to drum up interest to help her get adopted a second time around.

Bailey said: "She and the resident dog got into a bad fight, and the owner could only keep one. She is a super-sweet girl who is always happiest when spending time with humans outside of the kennels.

"We rely heavily on social media to help us spread the word about our adoptable pets," Bailey added. "Tic Tac's most-recent post on Facebook did get a decent amount of positive reactions, but hasn't turned into an adoption yet."

In the Facebook post, which was shared on July 18, the shelter wrote that Tic Tac is definitely confused as she is back to searching for a forever home. The post has received 500 reactions and been shared more than 360 times already, and the shelter hopes that "this little angel" will find her new family soon enough.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says that, of the 3.1 million dogs that end up in American shelters each year, 2 million are adopted fortunately. It's also thought that 710,000 canines are returned to their original owners each year, after winding up in shelters across the country. However, that still leaves hundreds of thousands of dogs waiting to find their new family.

When it comes to getting a new dog, 34 percent of people will get their new pup directly from a breeder, as that remains the most popular source for pet ownership. Rescuing a dog is growing in popularity, as 23 percent of owners got their pup from a shelter or humane society, according to the American Pet Products Association.

Although the social-media attention that Tic Tac has generated hasn't yet led to an adoption, Bailey is hopeful that the 2-year-old mixed breed will have more luck in time.

The rescue center helpers regularly share pictures of the cats and dogs that wind up in their care, including Beulah a senior dog, Whiskers the 8-year-old cat, and Dia the 7-year-old bully mix.

Bailey added: "Tic Tac is just one of the 2,000 animals that come through our shelter every year. Social media plays a huge part in helping our animals get adopted."

Many Facebook users have commented on the post sharing Tic Tac's "returned adoption" story, which left many people hoping someone would come forward to adopt her.

One comment reads: "Tic Tac is such a cutie pie dog! Just look at that adorable little face of hers."

Another person wrote: "Poor baby! All dogs need decompression time when they first come into a home. Interactions with other pets in the household should be done slowly."

Do you have any animal rescue and adoption stories that you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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