08/26/2026
UPDATE: LOOK AT CAPONE NOW!
We are so happy to be able to share this update on National Dog Day, because there is something especially poignant about seeing where Capone is today after everything it took to get him here. For a very long time, Capone was the dog who kept waiting.
Capone’s story with us began after he was surrendered to NYC ACC in November 2023 after being tied to a gate. While at the shelter, he developed kennel cough, and eventually this handsome boy found himself on the euthanasia list due to the stress and confusion of being in a shelter environment.
In February 2024, AmsterDog pulled Capone from the euthanasia list and brought him to safety. We hoped that saving his life would be the beginning of a much better one and that a permanent home wouldn’t be far behind. Capone went into a foster home after being rescued, but only a few weeks later, he was returned. We desperately searched for another foster or adopter, but no one stepped up. With nowhere else for Capone to go, boarding became our only option.
And there he stayed in a kennel. Most of 2024. All of 2025. And most of 2026. We shared him many times, pleading for someone to give him a home in hopes that someone would finally give him a chance. He had already survived being tied to a gate, losing his home, becoming sick in the shelter and facing a euthanasia deadline. Yet even after we rescued him, he spent years waiting for someone to choose him.
Then recently, Bill stepped up to foster him. And we could not have asked for a better person to give Capone this opportunity. And Capone or “Cappy,” as Bill now affectionately calls him is doing so well.
Bill recently lost his beloved senior bulldog, George, and despite that heartbreak, he opened his home and heart to Capone. Bill has been amazing with him, giving Capone what he has been missing for so long: patience, structure, consistency and the time to adjust to living in a home again. Capone needed someone in his corner, and Bill has become exactly that.
After years in boarding, Capone is finally experiencing all the little things many dogs take for granted. He loves car rides, loves being close to Bill and especially loves snuggling with him. He follows Bill around the house and has officially entered what Bill affectionately calls his “clingy phase.”
And Capone has discovered another benefit of foster life: his daily Dunkin’ Munchkin treat. Bill was already telling us how much more relaxed Capone seemed. With each passing day, more of his personality emerges. He is learning, adjusting and becoming more comfortable with the everyday routines of home life.
This is why fostering matters. Boarding kept Capone safe from a shelter euthanasia deadline. But Bill is giving Capone a life. He is putting in the work to understand him, giving him time to decompress, helping him navigate new situations and, most importantly, allowing Capone to progress at his own pace. After spending so much of his life without stability, Capone finally has someone willing to give him the time he needs.
Think about his journey: Tied to a gate. Surrendered to NYC ACC in November 2023. Sick with kennel cough. Placed on the euthanasia list. Pulled to safety by AmsterDog in February 2024. Fostered for only a few weeks before being returned. No other foster or adopter stepped up. Then most of 2024, ALL of 2025 and most of 2026 spent in boarding.
And now? Car rides. Munchkins. A couch to stretch out on. Snuggles. Love. Guidance. A new nickname, Cappy. And finally, a home. After everything this dog has endured and after years of wondering if someone would finally give him a chance, today we get to celebrate him from a home instead of from boarding.
We are incredibly grateful to Bill. What he is doing for Capone shows just how profoundly one foster home can change a dog’s entire world. This National Dog Day is different. For the first time in a very long time, he isn’t spending it alone. He is in a home with someone beside him. And after years of waiting, we are finally getting to see the Capone we always knew was there.
Happy National Dog Day, Capone or should we say, Cappy. You’re finally getting the chance you’ve waited years to receive. ❤️🩹
