Mama Dog Watches Her Pups Find Homes, Waits 227 Days for Her Happy Ending
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 rescue center in Virginia recently celebrated a dog finally getting her happy ending after being in its care for 227 days.
A dog named Yuki first arrived at the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in September 2024, along with her nine newborn puppies. They were originally abandoned at a rural shelter in southwest Virginia. The rescue center took them in, giving them time to decompress and connected the pups to foster families.
Soon enough, adopters fell in love with the puppies, and they all found homes. However, Yuki stayed and waited. She watched all her puppies get adopted before her, which tends to be a pattern seen in shelters and rescues.
Animal shelters commonly see puppies being adopted faster and more often than older dogs. Senior dogs have an adoption rate of 25 percent, while puppies and young dogs have a 60 percent adoption rate, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Despite her pups getting picked before her, Yuki kept holding onto hope that her time would come. She continued to show off her energetic personality, earning her a spot as a favorite among volunteers and staff. They thought of her as a smart and youthful dog who is eager to please, loves treats, playing and meeting new people.
After patiently waiting for months, Yuki finally received her happy ending earlier this month, all thanks to two volunteers who fell in love with her after working with her and hosting her for occasional sleepovers. As they started to know Yuki, they realized they couldn't do life without her.
"Yuki's story is a beautiful reminder of the power of connection and the magic that can happen when dogs and people are given the time and space to bond..." the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
To celebrate Yuki's adoption day, the rescue painted a banner for her, which she ran through to greet her forever family. A representative from the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation told Newsweek via email that this banner was made special for Yuki. Not every adoption comes with a celebration like this one.
Others joined the adoption day by surrounding Yuki who ran in circles as they cheered.
"There was so much excitement on adoption day, she took a lovely Sunday snooze," the representative said. "She is a favorite, so there have been lots of well wishes from our staff and volunteers!"
As far as how she's doing in her new home, the representative said she's settling in well.
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.
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