All shelter dogs dream of finding a home of their own, but some dogs get passed over time and time again, and begin to lose hope that they’ll ever get adopted.

That’s what one heartbreaking viral photo showed, as a 3-year-old shelter dog looks devastated after not getting adopted again. But despite everything, there is still hope for this lonely dog…

Rocky, a 3-year-old pit bull, has been in the care of Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester since October 2022, when his family was evicted from their home and could no longer care for him, according to Newsweek.
Since then, Rocky has been adopted out twice only to be returned to the shelter, along with a few two-week adoption trial periods. Despite these glimmers of hope, Rocky has always ended up back where he started.

“He was most recently returned this past September and has had no luck since. He’s a great dog, but he would thrive in a certain type of home that may be more difficult to find,” communications specialist Lindsay Brewer told Newsweek, explaining that Rocky would do best as the only dog in an adults-only home.

After more than a year of rejection and false starts, Rocky is starting to take things to heart, as evidenced by a heartbreaking photo the shelter posted a few weeks ago.

Rocky sits in his kennel, all alone, hanging his head down as if devastated after another day of being passed over.