I’m baffled.  During the recent open house for the Rockwall animal adoption center, I overheard family after family saying “Oh! There’s Marble!” Or “Mom! That’s the dog from the newspaper!”

There’s not a month that goes by without Dawn Redig, your friendly editor of the Rockwall-Rowlett neighborsgo asking, “Is Marble still there?”

Yes.  Unfortunately Marble is still held captive at the new Rockwall facility.  He’s been in jail for over eight months. For the uninitiated, here’s a brief history. Marble is a beautiful three-year-old Gordon Setter crossbreed who was abandoned the Monday following Thanksgiving last year.  He was named for his most distinguishing feature: his piercing marble-like eyes. He’s smart as a whip, very loving and energetic and walks like a charm on a leash.

Now comes the baffling part: No one wants him.

For an explanation, I turned to Chris Valentine, the supervisor of the Rockwall Animal Services department. “Unfortunately, if you’re a large dog, you’re hard to place,” Ms. Valentine explained. “And if you’re a large black dog, you’re almost impossible to place. You don’t have enough ‘bling.’ You’re not fancy enough.”

Dogs usually don’t last very long inside an animal shelter. Imagine living in a cage with the constant  ear-shattering noise of barking and the oppressive permeating odors.  You can understand that it’s a stressful environment for everyone.  It’s a miracle that Marble has lasted for over eight months. “It’s borderline animal cruelty to keep him in this environment for this long,” Ms. Valentine said. “Sure, he gets food, he gets water and he gets to play, but it’s still not a home.”

I’m afraid that time is running out on Marble. I’m baffled that a dog this good and this loving can fall through the cracks. “It’s a shame that society has to judge everything by appearance and not by heart,” Ms. Valentine said.

Watching Marble romp around the get-to-know courtyard at the new facility, I could easily picture him living a happy life with a proper yard to run in. And as I watched Paul Abernathy, the facility’s new shelter attendant, put a leash on Marble, I could picture someone walking proudly through their neighborhood with such a well-behaved dog.

I had one final question for Ms. Valentine. Where do we go from here? “Say your prayers,” she answered.

You can adopt Marble at the new Rockwall Animal Adoption Center, 1825 Airport Road.  You can also call 972-771-7750 or e-mail CValentine@rockwall.com.

See Marble (in the old Rockwall Animal Shelter) in a neighborsgo video produced five months ago.

Michael Kitkoski is chairman of the Rockwall Animal Adoption Center Advisory Board.  If you have an interesting “tail” to share, e-mail him at rockwallpets@charter.net.