This dog waited more than 4 years to be adopted. Finally, he's going home

The dog that has spent the longest time in the care of a pet rescue group in Windsor-Essex, Ont., is finally getting adopted.

Sailor, a five-year-old male chihuahua crossbreed, has been adopted by a family after spending more than four years in the care of Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR).

Cherie Smith, one of SCAR's directors, says Sailor was rescued from a shelter in Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

"In 2019, there was a group of rescues that helped a lot of the dogs that were displaced ... and he was one of them that we helped," Smith said.

Smith said Sailor has a compressed vertebrae, but SCAR's veterinarian decided against surgery due to a lack of muscle mass.

Smith says when it comes to putting pets with disabilities up for adoption, how quickly they are adopted depends on their clients' willingness to work with the disability that animal has.

She said it's becoming harder to find new homes for the animals as more people are giving up their pets.