OCALA, Fla. — Canyon got picked up as a stray by Marion County Animal Services on March 13, 2020, the day that president at the time, Donald Trump, declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency.

Canyon remains in the county’s animal shelter.

A large 8-year-old mixed breed, the neutered male is spending his 463rd day in the care of Marion County Animal Services.

“Honestly, I don’t know how he’s been overlooked,” said Jim Sweet, the county’s animal services director. “He might be a larger-breed dog, but the reality is that he’s really easy going.”

“He’s going to make somebody very, very happy one day,” he added. “We’ve just got to make that connection.”

Staffers and volunteers hope that Canyon doesn’t challenge the record stay of a dog named Aquarius, who spent 665 days at the shelter until her adoption early this month.

Yet when it comes to prolonged stays at the shelter, Canyon still has company. Percy, a smaller 8-year-old mixed breed, has lived there for 451 days, officials say. Animal shelter workers have been pitching both dogs on social media, with photos of them taking walks together and getting workouts for their legs and noses on the trails.

Diane Summers, manager at Orange County Animal Services since 2019, told Spectrum News she couldn’t remember having a dog available for adoption for that long.

Animal services officials note 21 days as the average stay for a dog at the Marion County shelter. They say they’re not sure why they’re now seeing dogs struggle for more than a year — and in the case of Aquarius almost two years — to find homes.

Sweet, the animal services director, said factors typically include a dog’s age, behavior with children and personality quirks that might require them to be the only pet in a home.

“Those are the things our animal care technicians are extremely up-front about because they want these pairings to work and for everybody to be happy,” he said. “But it can also mean it takes some time to find the right match.”

As a no-kill shelter, Marion County keeps Canyon and Percy and dogs like them alive provided that they stay healthy and treatable.

During an outdoor play-time visit from Spectrum News on Friday, Canyon played with a tennis ball and stayed gentle when we petted him — but he preferred the tennis ball.

Canyon wouldn’t go for it when we sat on the ground and tried to play with him, but his tail kicked into high and happy gear when volunteer Lisa Ronan, his main caretaker, kneeled down with him. Canyon smiled and repeatedly kissed her as she scratched his neck, back and shoulders.

Percy kept her tail between her legs and wouldn’t come near us, yet Marion County public information officer Alex AuBuchon declared her “a favorite of our Animal Center volunteers.”

Staff member Wendy Crowley explained that it takes time for Percy to warm up to people, which could turn off potential adopters who have so many choices.

“You go into the kennel and you’ve got all these dogs, and they’re all vying for your attention,” Sweet said, “so I can see how somebody kind of passes one or two here and there."

“But to go this long is … it’s not what we’d like.”