A shelter dog has reached the heartbreaking milestone of 785 days in the Florida facility he was first surrendered to back in 2022.

Yogi's original owner didn't want to surrender their beloved pet pooch to Humane Society Naples but, in the circumstances, had little other choice.

"Yogi was surrendered due to his owner being unable to find a place to live with him," Carolina Diaz from Humane Society Naples told Newsweek. "They had had Yogi since he was a puppy. They said he was very active and enjoyed the company of other dogs but he was afraid of strangers."

Sadly, as a pit bull, from the start of his time at the shelter Yogi faced an uphill battle to get adopted. According to a study published in the journal PLOS One, pit bulls spend approximately three times as long in shelters as other breeds.

It's now been over two years since Yogi first arrived at Humane Society Naples and while Diaz acknowledges that his breed has played a part, she says several factors are behind Yogi's struggles to find another forever home.

"Breed and size restrictions in our community make it difficult for dogs like Yogi to find homes," she said. "Yogi also struggles to make human friends and it will take multiple meetings before he feels comfortable going to a new home."

All of the staff at Humane Society Naples are thoroughly behind him making that transition though and, after spending extended periods of time with him, can vouch that once Yogi lets his guard down, there's a happy-go-lucky dog there just waiting to be loved.

"Yogi loves the pool and swimming. He also enjoys rope toys, whether they are up in a tree or to play tug-of-war and really loves stuffed toys, busy boxes and treats," Diaz said. "Once you become someone he trusts, you will become another one of his favorites. His bond with trusted people is unbreakable."

There does remain some concern, however, that spending such a long amount of time in the shelter is starting to take its toll on Yogi. "Any dog that is housed for this long suffers," Diaz said. "Humane Society Naples is lucky to be able to give our canine residents multiple outlets to de-stress but a home is always the best option."

That's why even a foster stay or trip out would make the world of difference to this long-serving resident. For that to happen, people need to look past his intimidating appearance and realize, underneath it all, there's just a dog desperate to be loved.

If there's anyone out there who thinks they can provide that, Humane Society Naples would love to hear from you.