A playful pup who has spent most of his life in an animal shelter is spending a second consecutive summer waiting for a forever home.

Spinach, a Great Pyrenees with one eye, has spent more than 432 days at the Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) shelter in Texas.

Luis Sanchez from APA! told Newsweek: "He came in from our municipal shelter—Austin Animal Center—with a ruptured eye at just 2 months old on May 20, 2023, which our vets removed. He came back to the shelter at the end of November due to him showing some resource guarding."

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"Spinach was in a kennel all last summer – just a puppy back then. Today, as temps hit triple digits, he's still in that kennel, once again exposed to the dangerous heat," APA! shared in a recent social media post featuring a heart-wrenching video of Spinach when he arrived as a puppy on day one, compared with his 432nd day at the shelter.

Despite his circumstances, Spinach is full of energy and loves nothing more than playing tug of war or chasing flies outdoors. His goofy antics, such as clumsily jumping onto the couch and making hilarious facial expressions, bring joy to everyone who meets him.

But Spinach has continued to be overlooked by shelter visitors and is now facing another summer in the kennel's heat.

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As temperatures across Texas soar, the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are issuing warnings about an intense heat wave spanning 48 states between August 2 and August 8. Spinach and other shelter animals are at risk. With temperatures expected to stay between 90 and 100°F for the next week, APA! has called for urgent support.

"Our facility is crumbling, and while we have plans to rebuild it, we have to fundraise, which will take a few years," Sanchez said. "For now, our kennels are outside. We utilize fans, misters, swamp coolers, and other techniques to bring the temps down and keep them safe, but it's not as comfortable as a home. We would love any donations on our wishlist, monetary donations to help us out. Most importantly, we are looking for fosters and adoptees for dogs like Spinach to give them a cool, comfortable home."

On TikTok, APA! asked for donations to help maintain the shelter during the heat wave.

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"This week, we need to replace fans like the one above Spinach's kennel, put up shade cloths, and make repairs to our HVAC system and other parts of our worn-out facilities," APA! said.

According to Shelter Animals Count, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters in 2023, up 4 percent from 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.

Between 2022 and 2023, the number of animals waiting to get out of shelters increased by 177,000.

In the comments on TikTok, people shared their reactions to Spinach's long wait in the shelter.

"The way my heart just sank to my stomach," said Mikaylasouth.

"His smile disappeared," Lilmaarriii wrote.

"What!" viewer Miranda said. "He's adorable why hasn't he been adopted yet."

Spinach is house-trained and knows some commands, including "sit." Highly motivated by food, he is a quick learner. Spinach's ideal home is one with adults or older children who can respect his space—especially during mealtimes.

"He would do great with adults and older kids that can respect his space. He does great in the home and also does well with other dogs. He's even our test dog that helps us evaluate dogs coming in," Sanchez said.

As the team at APA! continues to fight the heat for their resident dogs, they hope that Spinach will soon find the perfect home with the right family.