05/22/2026
Update on Marcus- You DEFINITELY want to read this! Unbelievable story!!
In March 2024, a dog escaped from his backyard while chasing three deer through the woods, and he vanished.
His owner, Carlos, searched desperately for him at the closest shelter to his home, but unfortunately, he wasn’t there. What Carlos didn’t realize at the time was that the shelter he searched wasn’t the county shelter, meaning if his dog had entered the shelter system, they never would have had him.
On May 23, 2024, a dog our team named Marcus entered the shelter system at Cincinnati Animal CARE after being brought in by a local police department as a stray.
Marcus struggled deeply in the shelter environment. He wanted nothing to do with the four tiny walls around him, and desperately longed for affection, freedom, and connection. Volunteers and staff took him under their wing. He spent afternoons stretched out in backyards, soaking up sunshine, devouring snacks, and handing out plenty of wet, sloppy kisses. But every time Marcus returned to the shelter after a day away, it became harder and harder for him.
After nearly a year in care, a foster stepped up for Marcus. He spent more than a year living in a home with people who loved him fiercely and advocated tirelessly for him to find his person. Marcus was finally adopted this past February, but two weeks ago, he was found as a stray once again and picked up by our dog wardens.
Almost immediately, Marcus showed us he wanted absolutely nothing to do with being back in a kennel. Given the notes from his previous adopters, what we already knew about how profoundly he struggled in the shelter, and the rapid decline we were seeing, our team was faced with an impossible decision. After poring over his notes and debating for what felt like days, the consensus from our lifesaving team was to put a timeline in place: find placement for Marcus within ten days, or humane euthanasia would be the only option left to end his suffering at the shelter.
The people who loved Marcus refused to give up on him.
Friends, volunteers, fosters, staff, and community members flooded social media with his story. His posts were shared thousands upon thousands of times. Local media picked up his story. Behind the scenes, people worked endlessly, making calls, sending messages, networking, and doing everything they possibly could to save him.
Then yesterday, one of those shared posts reached a friend of Carlos.
He immediately thought the dog looked familiar. Carlos contacted us right away and sent photos that left absolutely no doubt. Marcus was actually Brick, the dog he had lost nearly two years ago.
And today, after two years, countless strangers fighting for him, hundreds of volunteers loving him, and more twists and turns than anyone could have imagined, Marcus, formerly known as Brick, is finally going home.
There are so many “what ifs” in this story.
What if Carlos had come to Cincinnati Animal CARE instead of another shelter?
What if Marcus had been adopted by someone else?
What if volunteers hadn’t fallen in love with him?
What if his foster hadn’t stepped up?
What if people hadn’t shared his posts thousands of times?
What if nobody had recognized him?
But maybe the biggest takeaway is this: sometimes it takes an entire community refusing to give up on one dog to change the ending of his story.
Today, against every odd imaginable, Marcus gets the ending he’s deserved all along.
Adopt. Foster. Volunteer. Donate.
We are Hamilton County’s animal shelter, and if your dog goes missing, please contact us immediately.
Happy trails, Marcus. You made an impression on everyone you met, and we can’t wait to get updates from your family.
