It’s not uncommon for a dog to spend quite some time at a shelter, waiting for their forever home. However, it is a bad sign when it takes longer than a couple of months. This is exactly what happened with one sweet pit bull named Diamond. Your heart will break for Diamond and her story.

20. Senior Dogs

It’s a known problem that older dogs have a harder time getting adopted in shelters. Many shelters have noticed this issue and take as many measures to combat it as possible. However, it’s not always easy.

19. Unadopted

It seems that when many people look for a dog to adopt they tend to go with the younger more energetic ones. The dog breed also has a serious impact on whether they get adopted easily or not, as some dogs happen to have a better reputation than others.

18. Diamond

Unfortunately for one dog she fell into both of the bad categories for most people looking for adopting. This is Diamond and she is a 9 1/2 year old pit bull. Sadly for Diamond, she has been stuck at a shelter for two years now.

17. Previous Owners

Diamond was living with her previous owners the entirety of her life. However, they had to drop her off at the shelter in April of 2016 when they could no longer care for her. Her owners didn’t want to let her go but had no choice…

16. Older Couple

“The people who had her was an older couple, and they basically told us that they couldn’t take care of her anymore,” Melissa Fogarty, kennel supervisor at Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, told The Dodo.

15. Visibly Upset

It was obvious to Fogarty that the couple was upset about having to give up their precious Diamond. “The woman was about 85. I know she was upset because she was trying to convince her two sons to take the dog, and they said they didn’t want her,” Fogarty explained.

14. Growing Accustomed

With brand new surrounding all around, Diamond had to get used to life in a shelter. It wasn’t easy for her and she really struggled to adapt. Everyone could see that she wasn’t happy there.

13. Struggling

“When she first came in, she was very nervous, and she didn’t warm up to anyone very quickly,” Fogarty explained. “She had a hard time in the kennel. She was barking a lot and jumping around her cage.”

12. Helping Her

The staff at the shelter went above and beyond to help Diamond get adjusted. They went on tons of walks with her and gave her a lot of attention. Eventually, after enough time, Diamond began to settle into the place.

11. Very Sweet

Despite going through such hardships, Diamond remains a very friendly and loving dog.  “She’s very sweet,” Fogarty said. “She’ll run up to you when you come into the room. She’s a very friendly dog. She knows all of her commands.”

10. Adorable Behavior

“She’ll sit there and give you kisses, and then wait for you to give her treats. I see her in our meet-and-greet rooms hanging out with our volunteers and just laying in their laps,” Fogarty explained. Still, the shelter takes its toll on Diamond’s happiness.

9. Hectic

“It’s kind of a very crazy environment to be in, because all of the dogs are constantly around and dogs are barking, and there are lots of people coming in and out,” Fogarty said. One of the biggest issues with getting Diamond adopted is her breed – her age also doesn’t help the situation.

8. The Environment

“I think it has to do with that when people walk through this environment, they get very overwhelmed and see a lot of dogs barking and in their faces,” Fogarty explained. “With Diamond specifically, she’s a large girl. She’s about 70 to 80 pounds, and not many people are enticed to take an older dog.”

7. Almost

Around last year, Diamond was set to be adopted by a woman. Everything seemed to be falling into place for once. Then the situation quickly fell apart in the most horrible way…

6. No Home

“There was one woman who had adopted her and taken her home.But the dog was a little too strong for her, and she didn’t do any training during those two weeks she had her, so it was just not a good match really,” Fogarty explained.

5. Miserable

When Diamond was returned to the shelter she was in an even worse mood than before. “She was very anxious, and she was running around a lot, and she did kind of revert back to that nervous dog [from] when she came back to the shelter years prior,” Fogarty went on to say.

4. Not Giving Up

Despite all of the hardships surrounding Diamond, the shelter refuses to give up on her. They are determined to find her the perfect home. The shelter staff truly believe that there is one person out there that will be perfectly suited for her.

3. Family Needed

“[She needs] a family that is home pretty often because she is older, and she’s probably going to need a little bit more attention,” Fogarty said. “And a backyard that she can just run around in, and then just come inside and lay down.”

2. Spunky Dog

Even though Diamond is an older dog, the shelter staff say that it doesn’t impact her in any way. She is still full of life and is pretty spunky. “She does want to run around a little bit … and she still likes to play with toys,” Fogarty said.

1. Total Package

“It’s very funny when she does all of her commands. She gives her paw, she sits, she stays, she rolls around. So for being her age, she’s like the total package.” With Diamond’s stellar personality she’ll be sure to bring happiness to any family that decides to finally adopt her.