Oscar’s only 2 years old, but his permanent frown would make you think he was older. The American bulldog mix has spent nearly all his life waiting for a forever home, and his solemn expression shows it.

After his family surrendered him at just under a year old, Oscar’s friends at Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS) tried to do everything they could to change his life for the better. They gently treated an infected wound around his neck and washed away the dirt that had accumulated on his body from living outside. They then set him up in his own kennel and placed him on their list of adoptables.

Volunteers at the shelter tried to get the word out about Oscar, but months passed without a single adoption application. As the days went by, his pout grew deeper and deeper.

“Nobody was responding to their posts about him,” Rosa Fond, founder and president of Humans and Animals United, told The Dodo. “Eventually, everybody forgot about him.”

Over a year later, MDAS reached maximum capacity. They had no choice but to let go of longtime residents like Oscar, and that’s when Humans and Animals United stepped in.

“We had to come up with a plan literally right away,” Fond said. “We don’t board our dogs — we look for fosters. So we literally worked all day and night to come up with a solution for him until we found a foster.”

Luckily, Fond and her team found a foster for Oscar to go to by the following morning. On top of finally getting to leave the shelter after all that time, the sweet pup was going straight into a loving home.

As soon as he arrived to his new foster home, Oscar’s frown turned into an ear-to-ear smile.

“He was so happy,” Fond said.

Fond was just as elated for Oscar’s new chapter as he was, but she knew the pup had a long road of healing ahead of him. On top of being heartwarm positive when she picked him up, his teeth were in terrible condition. Oscar was happy but also in pain.

“When I say he has everything, the poor kid has everything,” Fond said. “But we’re doing everything we can to make him feel better.”

Oscar began daily treatments with Fond’s local vet, and, once he started feeling better, his bubbly personality blossomed. Finally, the weathered dog started to feel like a puppy again.

“He got a bit hyper,” Fond said. “But he’s young. And just so sweet.”

Oscar’s currently in foster care working with a trainer who partners with Humans and Animals United while he waits for a forever home. With the help of his new friend, Oscar’s learning how to channel all his energy into obedience skills that keep him safe and happy.

So far, no one’s inquired about adopting him, but Fond remains hopeful that Oscar’s perfect family will find him.

“He deserves a good home,” Fond said. “Somebody who’s gonna give him a lot of love and help him heal through the trauma he’s been through. Someone who’s gonna give him a lot of love and time to understand that he’s safe.”

Oscar’s friends at Humans and Animals United are hopeful that a loving family will scoop him up soon, but, in the meantime, they’ll continue showering him with affection as he deserves.

With the hardest part of his life far behind him, the sweet pup’s previous pout has officially turned into a permanent smile, and Fond can’t wait to see his ear-to-ear grin grow even bigger once he finally gets his happily-ever-after.