Iowa Dog Finally Adopted After 900 Days at Shelter Helps New Owner Recover from Breakup

After more than two years — 900 days — one Iowa dog has finally found his forever home!

Just a few years ago, Leo was rescued by Linda Reynolds with Dogs Forever from being euthanized at a rescue operation in Sioux City.

"We said we would take him and I met the person that was transporting him in Webster City on Aug. 10, 2017, and brought him to Dogs Forever," she told ABC affiliate KCRG.

He was a rather difficult pup who had a hard time bonding with potential owners that came through the shelter. That was until he met David Evens from Urbana.

On Christmas Eve of 2019, Evens saw Leo on the Dogs Forever website and decided to pay him a visit. From then on until March of 2020, Evens would come and work with a trainer to bond with Leo, and also fulfilled a few requirements to make sure his home was ready for the active pup.

"He said he was willing to put a fence in, he was willing to put the kennel inside," Reynolds told the outlet. "We asked him to work with Mike our trainer for a month. He worked with him for three months."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories

While Evens may have given Leo a forever home, he says that Leo has helped him as well.

"I went through a breakup and needed an animal to spend time with," he told KCRG. "No loneliness now."

Amid the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, animal shelters across the country are also encouraging potential pet owners who are able, to take in a furry friend to be a companion during isolation.

"If you don’t have a pet and are thinking about getting one, now is the perfect time to 'try it on' by fostering from your local shelter. Shelters and pet adoption facilities nationwide need people to foster pets on a temporary basis,” Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, previously told PEOPLE about how they can help rescue pets and themselves during the pandemic.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.