| Credit: courtesy Denver Department of Public Health & Environment
A 3-year-old dog from an animal shelter in Denver has made history after becoming the first pit bull in the city to be adopted in over 30 years.
Gumdrop, who has been renamed Odin by his new family, is the first pit bull to be adopted in Denver since 1989, Denver Department of Public Health & Environment spokesperson Kyle Wagner tells PEOPLE. Get push notifications with news, features and more. + Follow
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According to Wagner, the pooch was found as a stray on Dec. 17 and taken to VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, where veterinarians determined he did not have microchip identification.
No one knew her name when she was found on Dec. 7 by Denver Animal Protection, roaming the Montbello neighborhood without a collar or owner in sight.
Flash forward three weeks later, however, and Penguin inspired by her shiny black-and-white coat is making headlines as the first adoptable pit bull in Denver in more than 30 years.
Penguin’s eligible adoption kicks off Jan. 2 and was made possible with the help of two-thirds of city voters, who passed Ballot Measure 2J this November and effectively lifted the city’s ban on the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
“The shoulders should be muscular, Rolfe said. “She does have pretty good muscle tone.”
Penguin was not part of any competition, but she was still best in a show of sorts: a demonstration of a breed-restricted assessment.
The city wants pit bull owners to contact Denver Animal Protection beginning on Jan. 2 to set up a breed-restricted assessment. The process takes about 45 minutes.
If animal protection officers identify the dog as a restricted breed, the owner must get a permit. The assessment costs $25 and the permit is an additional $30.
Owners must renew their permits for three years. If there are no violations involving their dogs during that timeframe, owners may request to be removed from the breed-restricted requirements.