Shelter Dog Gets A Pool All His Own But Still Prefers His Bucket

"Centaur is a certified weirdo" 😂

In the play yards and dog kennels at Austin Animal Center, water pails sit around ready to be used for cleaning. But that is not what Centaur sees when he looks at the buckets — he sees a special place just for him.

The quirky dog came to the shelter as a stray on Saint Patrick's Day and has delighted the staff with his antics since.

Centaur the shelter dog sits in a bucket
Austin Animal Center

“Centaur is a total goof,” Kelsey Cler, marketing and communication program manager at Austin Animal Center, told The Dodo. “He’s smart and high energy, so he’s starting to struggle in the shelter the longer he’s here. He loves to play fetch, and once he gets his energy out, he’s a big cuddler.”

Austin Animal Center

Centaur first discovered his beloved bucket in early May, when Texas was experiencing an unusual heat wave. “I think he just wanted to cool off his tootsies in the water,” Cler said.

When the shelter posted a photo of the 4-year-old dog in the bucket on Facebook, viewers started a campaign to get Centaur his very own kiddie pool. They happily obliged — believing that the pup would be excited to have more space to splash around.

Shelter dog with his own kiddie pool
Austin Animal Centaur

However, his reaction was not what they expected.

Even with the pool available, Centaur still gravitated to his bucket. It was just the right size, after all. “When we posted Centaur a few weeks ago, some of you (reasonably) suggested getting him a pool,” Austin Animal Center wrote on Facebook. “Well, it turns out Centaur is a certified weirdo … come get yourself a dog with personality!”

Austin Animal Center

A month later, Centaur has finally warmed up to his kiddie pool and divides his time evenly between it and the bucket. “He absolutely loves the pool now,” Cler said. “He especially likes to bob for treats in the pool and, of course, roll in the dirt once he gets out.”

“[But] he still likes to go in the bucket even with a pool available,” she added.

Austin Animal Center

Centaur is a loving, happy-go-lucky dog, but, even with all his charms, he still hasn’t managed to find a forever family. The shelter staff is holding out hope the right match will come along soon and give him the forever home — and forever pool — Centaur so deserves.

“He is looking for an active family that will take him on adventures,” Cler said. “He may be a bit much for little kiddos just due to his energy level and bounciness. Whoever adopts him will seriously get the silliest, goofiest boy!”

If you are interested in adopting Centaur, you can fill out an application here.