ATHENS, Ohio — For seven months last summer, rescuers tried to capture a stray the public was calling “the Taco Bell dog.”
But staff at the Athens County Dog Shelter called him Wilson, because trying to catch the dog felt like Tom Hanks’ character swimming after the volleyball in “Castaway.”
“We’d get so close to him, and then he’d just take off,” said Athens County Dog Warden Ryan Gillette.
The two-year-old mixed breed was finally captured in October 2025. He spent about a month and a half recuperating at the dog shelter before he became adoptable in December.
He didn’t have to wait long for a new home. The Williams family adopted him in January 2026, and the once-elusive stray has discovered a love for car rides and bacon strip treats.
The Williamses knew about Wilson, but they had also heard that a lot of families were interested in adopting him.
“We’re like, ‘There’s never going to be a chance,’” Anieca Williams said. “Well, then when it was time for him to find his home, everybody backed out and whatnot.”
Williams said she was surprised by how quickly Wilson settled into his new life with her, her husband and their three children, two other dogs, and several chickens.
“He was kind of skittish at first,” she said. “He was kind of unsure, like ‘Am I going to be able to stay here?’ And so after a few days, he just adjusted really quick.”
Williams’ 11-year-old son immediately connected with Wilson. Their family had just lost the dog they had had since her son was three years old, and she felt the “emptiness” in their home. But with a Great Dane and a Chihuahua already at home, she was hesitant to bring another dog into their lives — until she met Wilson.
“When we walked in, sat down, he was all over my son,” Williams said. “So I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s coming home with us,’ and now he’s absolutely spoiled.”
A long road home
Both Wilson and his sibling, originally named Mint by the dog shelter, were abandoned by their previous owners in the Canaanville area. The shelter first became aware of Wilson when he would run along the Hocking River, before he made his way to Athens and gained celebrity status as the “Taco Bell dog.”
Wilson’s sibling, now named Buster, was captured in April 2025, and adopted soon after, but it took the shelter six more months to capture Wilson. They worried about his possible exposure to Lyme disease — a growing risk in Ohio, especially during the summer.
“I can’t think of another instance where we had spent so much time and effort trying to catch a dog,” Gillette said. “Typically it happens a lot quicker. We were following him with thermal drones.”
Because of his wariness around people, Wilson’s rescue was a challenge. Two or three times a day, the shelter loaded a trap with food and waited for Wilson to wander into it. They came up empty-handed for weeks. Finally, on Oct. 19, 2025, Wilson was successfully captured.
Gillette and his staff were surprised by how quickly Wilson became comfortable around people, remembering that “within 24 hours he was climbing on the people’s laps.”
Wilson still has some trauma from his life on the run. He gets anxious, Williams has noticed, especially when the family leaves him at home alone. He’s a nervous chewer, and anything left around his crate could be at risk. While he doesn’t mind the other animals he lives with, he can be jumpy around unfamiliar objects.
“I was putting groceries away, and a store bag fell off the counter, and he about went to pieces because he thought it was getting him,” Williams said.
While Wilson may shy away from plastic bags, he never shies away from the camera. Wilson has his own Facebook page with over 300 followers, where the Williamses share updates and images, especially of Wilson getting ready for car rides.
After adopting Wilson, the family posted a fundraising opportunity encouraging followers to donate to Friends of The Shelter Dogs, which supports the Athens County Dog Shelter.
Williams and her husband both work and her son is starting football practices, so Williams doesn’t see new pets in her future any time soon. But she encourages others to foster and adopt animals if they can, “giving them a loving home.”
“He’s been so great,” Williams said. “It’s like he was meant to be.”
Find animals available for fostering or adoption on Petfinder (both dogs and cats) or on Facebook pages for Friends of the Shelter Dogs and the Athens County Humane Society. Behavior Analysis Reform for Companions also announces upcoming adoption events on their Facebook.
