Hearts Break for Dog Surrendered To Rescue With Wedding Ring on Her Collar
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A dog surrendered to a shelter came with a heartbreaking item attached to her collar—a wedding ring and no explanation.
A 1-year-old dog named Lotus first arrived at the county animal shelter before being brought into the care of a Charlotte, North Carolina, rescue. The previous owner surrendered her, along with a wedding ring, claiming they "no longer wanted her," an August 7 Instagram post under the account @forgotten_now_family_rescue stated.
A representative from Forgotten, Now Family Rescue told Newsweek that there was no explanation regarding the wedding ring, but confirmed that the shelter said it was attached to her collar when she arrived. The previous owner looped the gold band to the part of the collar where a name tag would normally hang.
While Lotus isn't the only canine surrendered to shelters—about 2.8 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues across the country during the first half of 2025, according to the Shelter Animals Count—the wedding ring attached to her doggy collar proved a bit unexpected.
Screenshots from an August 7 Instagram post of a wedding ring attached to Lotus's collar; and a person holding the item.
Screenshots from an August 7 Instagram post of a wedding ring attached to Lotus's collar; and a person holding the item.
@forgotten_now_family_rescue/Instagram
Not only did a relationship end, but her life as Lotus knew it also turned upside down.
The dog came to the rescue, scared and confused. Nerves flooded her eyes, as seen in the photos posted to Instagram. She remained timid and unsure about her future, and, despite the turn of events, she remained "so sweet."
Thankfully, Lotus received several adoption applications since Forgotten, Now Family Rescue first shared her story. People instantly fell in love with her black, scruffy fur and hopeful face.
Lotus is now safe and sound with her adopters, unwinding from the turn of events in her life and regaining her confidence. The animal rescue said "she's doing amazing" in her forever home.
Viewer Reactions
The Instagram post instantly captured people's attention. Many felt heartbroken about the situation, but others stressed the importance of not judging the owners, as they might have removed Lotus from a dangerous situation.
"Discard the spouse if necessary. NEVER discard the dog," commented a viewer.
A second posted: "Wow, she's beautiful. I hope she finds a forever home soon. Thank you for rescuing Lotus."
A third person wrote: "Not saying this is the case, but just remember there can be various reasons people surrender their animals, domestic abuse, deportation from the US, etc."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
24 minutes ago
- NBC News
Woman wins 2025 Florida Python Challenge as record amount of snakes removed
Nearly 300 Burmese pythons were removed during a record-setting Florida Python Challenge this year, state wildlife officials said. The 10-day competition that ran from July 11-20 resulted in a record 294 invasive pythons being removed, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said Wednesday. Just 195 pythons were caught during last year's challenge. A total of 934 participants from 30 states and Canada were involved in this year's hunt which included eight official locations including Everglades National Park. The winner of the $10,000 ultimate grand prize this year was Taylor Stanberry, who removed a whopping 60 pythons. Stanberry promotes herself as a 'venomous keeper' and 'venomous relocator' from Naples on her Instagram page. The rest of the approximate $15,000 in prizes was divided among competitors in the contest's three categories: novice, professional and military. Donna Kalil, who last year caught 19 pythons in the professional category, captured 56 this year. The most pythons caught by a novice were 14 by Krista Hoekstra, while John Southworth led the military category with 5. The longest python caught this year was 15 feet, 11 inches by a novice, Michael Marousky. The longest caught in the military category was 11 feet, 2 inches by Jonathan Miller, while the longest caught by a professional was 9 feet, 8 inches by Kennith Chamberland. Burmese pythons are one of the state's most notorious invasive species, and the FWC has implemented several efforts to remove the large nonvenomous constrictors from our ecosystem — primarily by humanely killing them. To incentivize their removal, Florida hosts the annual python challenges. More than 23,500 pythons were removed from natural areas in the state of Florida between 2000 and April 2025, according to the FWC. The amount of pythons captured and removed increased drastically once the paid challenge was launched in 2017. 'The record number of invasive pythons removed from the Everglades during this year's competition is a big win for native wildlife. With over 1,400 pythons removed during all Florida Python Challenge events to date and over 16,000 pythons removed by FWC and South Florida Water Management District contractors since 2017, collective efforts are the key to continue addressing the threats Burmese pythons pose to Florida's native wildlife and ecosystems,' FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said in a statement Wednesday.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Man 'Weirded Out' By Wife's Choice For Baby Name: 'Isn't Human'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man has turned to Reddit for advice over his wife's "really strange" choice of baby name. The 31-year-old man and original poster (OP), user throwaway_4444444567, shared his story on Reddit, explaining that he and his 26-year-old wife have been married for two years and are expecting their first child, a girl. According to his post, he and his wife have a stable relationship, but there's just one problem: His wife wants to name their daughter after her childhood dog. Stock image of a woman looking at a list of girl's names. Stock image of a woman looking at a list of girl's names."I honestly think this is really strange," the OP admitted. "We are having a girl, and the name isn't a 'human' name (in my opinion). I don't want to say exactly what it is, but it's pretty similar to Lucky. "I feel uncomfortable about naming our daughter a dog name. I don't think that dogs' lives are less valuable than human lives; however, our daughter is going to have a life beyond us. "I would be weirded out if I were named after a dog. I don't know how to approach this subject with my wife because she has wanted to name her future child after her childhood dog since she was a teenager." "I don't want a blow-up fight over this, but I feel like this will affect our future child in the long term," he added. 'Not as uncommon as one would think' Discussing the OP's dilemma, Sherri Suzanne, a baby name consultant with told Newsweek, "I feel quite certain these parents-to-be will have many conversations about the child's name as time goes on. "Lots of us have teenage dreams of the 'perfect' baby name only to find that the 'dream name' doesn't work once part of a couple." When thinking of baby names, Suzanne explained that many parents "stick with human eponyms", but she noted that "honoring a pet in a baby name is not quite as uncommon as one would think—but in my practice, it is rarely deliberate". She continued, "In this case, the inspiration for the name is far less important than the name choice. "There is a broad palette of names, and good names come in all packages—traditional, unusual—but what all good names have in common is that they bring dignity to the bearer and can be introduced with confidence." Reddit Reacts Many Reddit users supported his decision to veto the name, with one writing, "Naming a child requires a yes from both parents. "If you aren't on board with naming your child something, that's the end of it. You both need to work together and come up with something together." Another added, "Problem isn't that this is a dog name - it's that she thinks she can unilaterally name the kid. "OP is NTA, but will probably get better mileage if he takes the tack of 'I don't like that name and we should agree on a name' and not 'Ew, I don't want my kid named after a dog'." In an update, the OP revealed the potential name of their daughter: Lassie. After taking on board Redditors' advice, he wrote, "I am going to suggest alternatives to my wife tonight, such as Lacy or Lacie." Other Baby Naming Disputes This isn't the first time a dispute over baby names has attracted online attention. According to a 2024 BabyCenter survey of more than 450 parents, nearly 1 in 10 mothers wish they had chosen a different name for their child. Many have shifted their preference over time, with 20% saying they now favor their child's nickname—whether it's a shortened form of the legal name or something entirely different—while 15% report preferring their child's middle name instead. Newsweek previously reported on a husband who refused his wife's chosen name for their child: "Princess" after her grandmother's middle name. When the husband expressed his dislike, his wife allegedly called him a "disgrace to her family" and "an awful father". Another Newsweek story described an expecting mother whose choice of baby name—Vaselina—was ridiculed by family members. Newsweek has contacted throwaway_4444444567 for comment via Reddit. To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here. Update: 8/14/25, 8:17 a.m. EST: This story has been updated to include expert comments.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Rescue Kitten Spends First Night in New Home—What She Does Says It All
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A recent viral post has captured the heartwarming truth of what it means for a rescue kitten to finally find a forever home. The Reddit post's owner shared a picture of their newly adopted cat, Mango, sleeping in a way that left no doubt about how safe he felt: belly-up, mouth wide-open and completely at peace. Since the post was published, it has received more than 39,000 upvotes and over 350 comments. The owner shared Mango's story, explaining that the cat was adopted because he was smaller than his siblings. Stock image: A ginger cat sleeps in the sunlight on the floor. Stock image: A ginger cat sleeps in the sunlight on the floor."He was abandoned," the poster wrote. "After a six-hour car trip and his first bath, here's how he slept." The image of him sleeping so soundly struck a chord with millions of viewers. The Ultimate Sign of Trust The kitten's sleeping position is a strong indicator of his newfound safety. For many Reddit users, seeing a cat sleep belly-up is the ultimate sign of trust, as it leaves them in a vulnerable position. One commenter wrote: "It's always so precious when they sleep like that, because it means they finally feel safe. My rescue did that a few weeks after he came inside." Another user said: "I have never slept that well. He knows he's found his forever safe place with you." The kitten's extreme comfort also led to some funny comments about cats' abilities to sleep so hard that they look like they are—well—not sleeping. "I literally had to look for his chest to be moving as bro looked dead," one person posted. "Nice job giving him a home." "I used to have a long haired semi-feral yellow boy who was like this," another commented. "If I held him and rubbed his belly, he goes dead mode. Once my dad thought I was carrying a dead cat until he sneezed." From Shelter to Forever Home The viral post also highlighted the stark difference between a cat's life in a shelter and in a secure home. A Reddit user shared their own experience with this transition. "When I adopted my eldest from the shelter, she used to sleep like the dead for about the first week," they wrote. "Like, she'd be passed out on my lap and I'd have to pick her up and move her somewhere else if I needed to get up, and she wouldn't wake up." The commenter added that this behavior was likely due to the lack of good sleep at the shelter, as the cat now "wakes up if I look at her." Mango's relaxed state and goofy sleeping position provided some classic ginger cat-related humor, with one person commenting: "Looks like he's trying to communicate with the orange brain cell. Interesting technique." Ultimately, the post is a reminder of the joy of cat adoption and the incredible transformation that a little love and a safe space can provide. Mango's sleeping position truly says it all. Newsweek reached out to u/TappetoImperiale for comment via Reddit.
