‘When Jewel saw her owner, oh man, you should have seen her excitement. Went and crawled right into her lap with the happiest tail wags.’: Woman who fostered a homeless man’s ‘missing dog’ reunites the pupper with her pawrent in a heartfelt reunion

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Oct 31, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Well, well, do we have quite the emotional and exciting dog rescue/fostering/reunion stories we have ever come across. It all begins with a doggo that was reported stolen, thought that is not where our story begins. It begins with the kindness and care of an unhoused gentleman, a woman who truly cares for canines and her boss who was surprisingly supportive of her choices while on shift.

This is the story that goes to show that the universe and the doggo distribution network truly care about the canines within their care and will do whatever it takes, even if it means a whole bunch of twists and turns to get a darling doggo to the place they need to be in, just when they need to be there. So grab yourself a box of tissues, because this one is going to spring a leak your waterworks, and settle in for one of the more delightfully heartwarming doggo stories you will see today.

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  • 01
    Hey everyone! So, yesterday a homeless man gave me his dog, Juliet. She is super sweet, but very "in yo face" lovey to my other rescue (husky cross). Juliet will get in my dog's face, my dog will growl, Juliet will
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    start crying and bark, and then my dog will get more annoyed. I have never had a bully breed like this before, I know they are very sensitive.
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    Some people were curious about the man who gave her away, and if he is alright. To be quite honest... I don't know, I hope so.
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    When this happened, I was cleaning outside of my work on the sidewalk, and he approached us with his dog Juliet.
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    Naturally I asked to pet his doggy, I can't help myself. He said of course, and explained he needed to find her a new home as she wasn't doing well in the heat, wouldn't survive our harsh
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  • Well, that sure is a heartbreaking yet simultaneously heartwarming encounter to have while at work. For it is terribly sad that the unhoused gentleman could no longer properly care for his doggo, yet it is also rather wonderful that he can appreciate that fact and put the doggo’s wellbeing above all else. There are so many housed people who would not be even as attentive to their doggo’s needs.

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    winters outside, and he cannot access shelters or supports with her as they don't allow pets. I informed him that I was off of work in two hours, and that I needed to talk to my
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    husband first, but that I'd be happy to take her. He told me a few places he might be downtown later, and walked off with a trail of other unhoused folks following him and asking for the dog. I
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    was pretty certain I wouldn't see him again, and my heart was torn. Juliets paws were burnt, her nose was burnt, she was thirsty, hungry and I knew that she wouldn't live long
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    when it turned winter. I walked back inside and told my boss, and she told me to go and get Juliet and take her home. I ran outside and frantically started looking everywhere for him,
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    and found him not too far away at a gas station (he practically had a crowd of unhoused folks around him asking for her). I approached and asked him if he still
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  • Wow, what a heartwarming response from this rescuer’s boss. We cannot imagine all too many bosses being this sympathetic to the need to save an animal, and no less during a shift. It is safe to say that pretty much everyone involved in this story thus far is a freaking hero!

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    wanted to re-home her, and he said yes. I told him that I would take her, and he broke down sobbing. We hugged it out, I told him he was so strong and brave for doing this for Juliet. I held his
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    hand and swore to him that I would do everything I could to make sure that she is safe, happy and never goes wanting again. He made me promise she wouldn't go to a shelter if I had to re-
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    home her, of course I agreed. He took down my number, told me to entice her with a can of wet food he had just bought, and ran around the corner crying. I brought her
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    back to my car, loaded her up, and now we are here. I have been separating my dog and Juliet whenever my dog gets snarky with her. I keep Juliet kenneled at night, and when I
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    leave the house. I also have a cat, which Juliet is very enthusiastic about. She desperately wants to cuddle him, but it's still a little overwhelming for my cat. I'm going to see if I can recruit someone to walk
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    Juliet while I walk my dog together to see if my dog will form a bond. I'd love to take them both to the park, but I don't know how Juliet will be. She's so sweet and nice, but honestly, I don't
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    know her well enough to be comfortable with that yet. Last thing I need is her or another dog getting hurt.
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    Anyways, I bought her a collar that matches her personality a little better today. Hope y'all like the story time and update!
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    The number was the number to the chip manufacturer. I ended up looking online, and found a place where I can enter her chip number on the site and see her info.....
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    Her name is Jewel- Lee, spayed female, 2 years old, and has an owner!!! | contacted her very carefully, asked if she has a dog, the name, the description... And asked if she knows where she is.
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    Apparently the dog was supposed to be hanging out with her daughter for a couple of weeks while she gets a new fence built for her house- and her daughter is usually good at taking care of dogs, despite being in active
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    ac n... The lady has tried to contact her daughter, but cannot get a hold of her. I suggested she call in a wellness check, and that I'll hold on to Jewel-Lee while all of that happens. She would come pick her up now, but her road is
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    being paved and repaired so she's stuck at home with her daughters children.... Lord, I hope this lady's daughter is okay... Be praying/thinking of us all guys...
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    This is probably the last update on Jewel-Lee. She has been reunited with her owner, who is a lovely woman who is well-known in my city. She has a nice big house, plenty of toys and really does care about her pup.
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    She is getting a fence built, I could see it myself, and the only reason she couldn't come down was because she was looking after a bunch of kids, and all of them in a car with Jewel would be a bit much- plus the
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    road work was happening directly in front of her house. The police contacted me and asked me all the questions about what happened, and while I was at her house, they called her and updated her on the situation with
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    her daughter. They did a wellness check, and no one answered. She is quite worried for her daughter. Apparently her daughter had put in a tip to the police that Jewel had been stolen on the 28th,
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    and they haven't been able to get a hold of her since then. When Jewel saw her owner, oh man, you should have seen her excitement. Went and crawled right into her lap with the happiest tail
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    wags. Jewel gave me one last hand hold before I left, and that was that. Me and her owner have each other's number, and I told her if she needs anything she can reach out to me.
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    Needless to say, she isn't letting her daughter watch her dog again- if she even is alive. Momma says she doesn't have a lot of hope honestly. Very heartbreaking. I'm just glad she has her pup back. The kids
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    were all so happy to see her again too, and then ran off to play. A happy ending to miss Jewel-Lees adventure. Thank you all for your help, kind words and advice
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