Courageous couple who rescued a stray puppy from an LA intersection left filled with regret as the ‘otherworldly sweet’ dog finds a furever family mere hours before they decide they wanted to adopt him

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jan 3, 2026 1:00 PM EST

Rescuing puppies is one of the toughest things to get involved in. Of course it is one of the more noble and important kinds of canine rescues, but the stakes are so high on either side of the scale that it can be a little more than intimidating to get involved. On the one hand, you could be stepping into a dire situation in which you have to face the reality of a pupper potentially not making it. On the other hand you might have lucked out and will have the opportunity to fall in love with a dog who wants nothing but love, making your meeting story one of the sweetest and heartwarming ones around. And then, as in the case of the courageous couple who stopped in an LA intersection to save the puppy in this story, you come across a puppy in great condition, with some of the more caring, kind and loving characteristics a doggo can have. But because you already have a dog you decided that after failing to find the pupper's actual pawrents you will find it a furever home to live happily ever after in.

The only problem being that the moment you let the darling doggo go you end up realizing the terrible mistake you have made. Because while it might be better for this puppy to be raised in a family that can give it all of their attention, you have already fallen for this fluffy friend. And while it might feel like there are no winners in this situation, as long as the puppy is safe, sound and happy that is all that matters.

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    "I felt my stomach completely drop and broke down."
    via Alan via Adobe Stock
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    My husband found a stray last weekend, sitting in the middle of a busy intersection in east LA. He pulled over to see if she would come to him and
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    she timidly approached and then climbed right into his lap. She was obviously very neglected - she was incredibly filthy
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    and her nails were so long it caused a slight limp. We took her in, gave her a bath, and woke up the next morning hoping to find her
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    owner. Unfortunately she was not microchipped. We posted to social media, next door, Craigslist, etc, and didn't get a single
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    brown and cream dog lying in grass sad
    via Linas T via Adobe Stock

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    inquiry. We drove around the neighborhood we found her in, looking for lost signs. We already have a dog and our lifestyle
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  • Sometimes, you can only truly know what lengths you should go to by being in a person’s shoes. As in this case where a couple who were already pupper pawrents came across a lost doggo. They knew just how distraught they would be if their darling doggo went wandering around town without them knowing where they are. And in kind to that you can see how much effort they are putting in to reuniting this canine with its family.

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    is busy enough that we felt like two dogs wouldn't be manageable. I started putting out feelers for fosters and adoptions and of course she got a
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    lot of interest because she's incredibly cute. But on top of that, her sweetness was otherworldly. Considering that she was this tiny
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    creature without a home, surviving on her own, she was so loving. All she wanted to do was to be held and cuddled, and her earnestness was
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    I was heartbreaking. trying hard not to fall in love with her because we thought it'd be better if she went to a loving home where people felt ready to take
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  • Ah jheez, it really does tear your heartstrings hearing about stories like this. Like, how does it come to be that a canine spirit filled with so much love and warmth can be abandoned like this? Surely the family they were living with before recognized this incredible charm and kindness in their pupper. And if so would they not appreciate it, rather than discarding their dog at an intersection like a piece of littered gum? At least the doggo distribution network found the right kind of people to help this pupper find a home.

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    care of her. After 3 days, the vet I took her to to see if she was chipped let me know that her family friend had recently lost a dog
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    and she wanted to take her in. I was thrilled that she would have a home but the closer the time came for the vet to pick her up, the more torn I felt.
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    small brown and white dog lost walking on path on its own
    via Михаил Решетников via Adobe Stock

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    All my husband and I did for 24 hours leading up to the pick up was go back and forth on what to do. In the end, I thought the indecision was an indicator and we let
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    her go off with the vet Wednesday night. I couldn't stop crying after she left but I thought that the next morning
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    (yesterday, Thursday), I'd wake up and feel some sort of relief in making "the right decision." But instead I woke up feeling immense
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    grief and regret. I knew the vet was going to give the pup an exam and vaccines right after thanksgiving and then her friend was going to pick her up
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    today, so I felt like I still had time to change my mind. By 11am yesterday I had texted the vet apologizing for the situation and letting her know that we
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    realized we wanted to make this pup part of our family. We were so giddy and happy as we waited for the vet to text me back.
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    We were too late. Her friend was so excited about the pup she asked if she could get her early and so the pup was already with her.
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    I felt my stomach completely drop and broke down. I couldn't believe the twist of fate. I felt awful for even asking, as it was a situation that we
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    totally were responsible for putting ourselves in, but I tried respectfully to get her back. I told the vet that I understood that this
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    Cheezburger Image 10592166144
    via Alan via Adobe Stock
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    woman may have already formed a bond and I knew she had recently lost a dog. I didn't want to cause further trauma. But if there was any way she was
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    willing to part with her after just a few hours together, it would mean the world to have her back. We finally got word this morning that it's
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    not happening. The woman and her family are in love. They assured us she went to a good loving home and I believe it. At the end of the day, the most
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    important thing is for the pup to be safe, cared for, and loved. I'm genuinely so happy that the dog has a happy ending, but I am devastated. I can't
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    stop crying and I can't imagine ever not feeling immense regret for messing up so badly. I know there's nothing I can do but
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    to focus on the well being of the pup, but I don't know how to recover from this.
    via qpParalaxinc2020

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sweet dog stray dog los angeles puppy courage reddit story family dog story furever home regret dog adoption Dog Rescue couple
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