(CNN) It took a billboard, social media campaign and more than five years of searching. But doggo Merrick finally found his furrever home.
The six-year-old pup had lived at the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City for most of his life, and was the longest resident there. The shelter had tried everything to get him adopted, and on Wednesday they finally succeeded.
"It was love at first sight," Jordan Nussbaum, Merrick's new owner, told CNN affiliate KMBC.
"What they wanted was someone without kids who had a lot of energy to keep up with him because he's a large dog. But he's still a puppy. It just seems like I was destined to be with him."
Before coming to the shelter, Merrick was abandoned at a garage sale. He also had a giant abscess on the side of his face, which required corrective surgery.
Although Merrick received a lot of attention (and even fan art), it still took time to find him the ideal living situation. But shelter staff never lost hope.
"Merrick found his perfect match—his new mom and dad, Jordan and Amy, are everything he has wished for and more!" the shelter said in a Facebook post. "We could not be more happy, excited, proud, or thankful to everyone who shared his story."
And judging from Merrick's face, he seems pretty thankful, too.