For more than two years, a beloved pit bull waited to find his forever family. Many at Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL) fell in love with the dog named Joker and had hoped to do whatever it takes to find his new family.

But as a crisis hit the animal rescue, it became clear: The shelter could no longer house animals considered dangerous.

Joker was one of about a dozen dogs from WARL that were euthanized this year.

The pit bull, while loved by many staff and volunteers, had multiple incidents that showed he was a danger to the community, even if he could find a loving home, Mike Keiley, vice president of the animal protection division of MSPCA-Angell, told MassLive.

Each decision was “really painful,“ Keiley said. “Even though everyone could objectively understand that rehoming

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