Dog named ‘Jake from State Farm’ may be world’s most unlucky pet, NC shelter reveals

A dog named “Jake from State Farm” is in search of a good neighbor after ending up in a North Carolina animal Shelter four times in three months — including returns from two foster homes.

To say 8-year-old Jake is unlucky is putting it mildly.

He’s currently up for adoption — yet again — at the Burlington Animal Shelter, after going from one tragic situation to the next, according to officials. Burlington is about 50 miles northwest of Raleigh, along Interstate 40.

Jake has been his name for as long as anyone can remember, but shelter staff took to calling him “Jake from State Farm” after he kept reappearing — sort of like the guy in the commercials.

Jake is even seen wearing a red State Farm shirt in a few of his Facebook photos.

His first shelter stay was in January, when first responders discovered Jake had been trapped in a home for days with his dead owner. The dog was found locked in a crate.

Eric Hockenberry was among the people who found Jake, according to a Facebook post, and he says the protective pup did not like strangers roaming the house, even if his owner had been dead a few days.

“He was not happy and rightfully so, but he held everything in until we made it outside where he (urinated) for about 3 minutes straight,” Hockenberry posted on the shelter’s Facebook page.

Jake was “stressed, scared and hungry” when he arrived at the shelter, Burlington Customer Service Supervisor Darlene Cox told McClatchy News. ”The (dead owner’s) family could not keep him, so he was brought here for us to find him a new home.”

Jake was quickly adopted, but came back a few weeks later, after the family lost their home, she said.

He was later taken in and returned by two foster homes, Cox said, because Jake “does not care for cats and they had cats.”

Several people have scheduled “meet and greets” with Jake, but no adoption offers are in the works.

“A lot of times, the older dogs tend to get overlooked,” Cox said. “He is a very mellow guy and is house trained. Just needs a couch to rest his head and retire on.”

For details on Jake (ID# 136280) you can contact petadoption@burlingtonnc.gov.

This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 8:47 AM with the headline "Dog named ‘Jake from State Farm’ may be world’s most unlucky pet, NC shelter reveals."