Cheech was picked up on the streets of Texas and taken to a big local shelter when he was 2 years old. He was then rescued by the City of Waller Animal Shelter and Rescue. He was so small that staff assumed he was scared or nervous in his new environment, but Cheech quickly proved them wrong.
Cheech was hanging out in his kennel shortly after arriving at the shelter and started making the cutest, weirdest face. Some staff and volunteers thought he was upset rather than just being silly…
… but Cheech quickly gave them the cutest, cheekiest smile, and everyone fell in love with the charismatic little dog.
“I went into the kennel to check him out and yelled for the other volunteers to come look,” Leah Sipe, director of the City of Waller Animal Shelter and Rescue, told The Dodo. “They thought I was crazy and he was snarling; when I stuck my hand in the cage, I thought they’d pass out.” He’s as friendly as they come!”
Wanting to share Cheech’s perfect smile with the whole world, Sipe posted a photo of him smiling on the shelter’s Facebook page — and the internet quickly fell in love. The post received over 7,000 shares, and the happy dog soon had over 50 applications from people who wanted to adopt him.
The shelter was overjoyed that so many people wanted to welcome little Cheech into their homes…
… and, of course, so was Cheech.
After sifting through the crazy number of applications that Cheech got, the staff came across the perfect one. An applicant had recently lost one of her dogs to cancer, and her remaining dog, Dusty, was distraught. He needed a new friend to help him get through this difficult time…
… and after meeting Cheech, it was clear that the two would be perfect for each other. Cheech’s only desire was to cuddle with Dusty and his mother, and everyone who knows Cheech is thrilled that he’s found the perfect family.
The City of Waller Animal Shelter and Rescue is brand new, and is currently being built and renovated from an old jail. The shelter officially opens on November 12th, and thanks to Cheech and his winning smile, the pups at the shelter will undoubtedly have a long line of potential adopters when it does.