YELLOWKNIFE - Found curled in a ditch with two puppies and a sweater, Momma Ditch, a young husky, was rescued by the pound.

Rescued and cared for as she waited to be adopted. She waited for weeks, then months ... and as her one-year anniversary at the pound approaches, "Momma" is still waiting.

Momma Ditch, a husky cross almost two years old, has been at the pound for nearly a year. Her caregivers want to make sure she won't celebrate that anniversary. - Erika Sherk/NNSL photo

The pound has never had a dog stay for an entire year before, at least not that Ashlee Shermet can remember. Shermet is receptionist at the Great Slave Animal Hospital, which runs the pound. It's not fair to Momma, said Janet Pacey, president of the NWT SPCA.

"We want to make sure she doesn't celebrate her one year anniversary in the pound, said Pacey.

Thus, the SPCA is putting the word out that Momma needs a rescuer.

While they want a home for Momma, it has to be a good one that will love and appreciate the young husky, said Pacey.

"We don't want people to run out there and adopt her because her story is sad," said Pacey.

When asked about Momma's personality, "ohhh she's awesome," said Shermet, who works with the young husky every day.

"She's a dog's dog," said Pacey. "She's great with other dogs - she's playful and goofy, but with people she does a complete 180 and is very scared."

Her timid personality is why she hasn't been adopted yet, Pacey added.

"She shies away and looks timid and then the dog in the next cage is all happy and go-lucky and that's the dog that goes home," she said.

She had one brief taste of family bliss around Christmas time, said Shermet.

"We had one person adopt her for two days," said Shermet, "and then they had a family emergency and had to leave town so we got her back."

It costs around $4,000 to keep a dog at the pound for a year, estimated Shermet.

"Nobody funds it," she said, when asked.

When a dog is impounded by a bylaw officer, the city pays for the five days of boarding at the pound before adoption, Shermet said.

After that, the funding comes out of the animal hospital, owned and operated by Dr. Tom Pisz, she continued. The SPCA also provides money for medical treatment.

The pound has a no-kill policy, she said. Which is the reason Momma is still there, after so many months.

Potential owners don't have to be concerned about her personality, said Pacey. Momma's not the least bit aggressive, Shermet agreed.

"She doesn't bark or growl or anything, she just stays at a distance."

Described as a "Northern Special" husky cross, Momma would do best in a quiet home, said Shermet.

"Where there's not a lot of commotion," she said. "Also with people who like to be outdoors because she goes skijoring with our technician."

At the pound, Momma is exactly as her handlers described her. Beautiful, quiet, and a bit shy, she approaches, wagging her tail slowly, before jogging off to better observe from a distance.

She will make an excellent pet for the right owner, said Pacey. One condition for adoption is absolute, however.

"It has to be a forever home," said Pacey. "Forever. She can't be returned and thrown away like that again."