A woman in Pennsylvania made the heartwarming decision to adopt the dog that had held the title of the ‘longest resident’ at a local shelter. Her choice was guided by a series of signs, including what she perceived as a “stamp of approval” from her late canine companion, as per a report by People.
The Animal Resource Center (ARC) in Bloomsburg shared the heartwarming story in a Facebook post on Friday, November 4, 2023. “We had an EXTREMELY SPECIAL ADOPTION this morning (you might want to grab a tissue real quick for this one),” the post began.
The post went on to explain that the shelter received an email from Kaitlyn inquiring about adopting Ella, the dog that had been with them for seven years. Kaitlyn mentioned that her beloved dog Jo had recently passed away, and she was now prepared to welcome a new furry friend.
‘Ella picked Kaitlyn’
Typically, it’s humans who select their pets, but in this touching story, the dog seemingly chose her owner. The post described the duo as a “perfect match.”
“When Ella first saw Kaitlyn, we think she already knew that this is MY person,” the shelter wrote, explaining that Ella has a “fear aggression” and often “needs multiple visits for her to get comfortable” with someone new.
“Not with Kaitlyn, it’s like Ella picked HER,” the organization continued. “She immediately walked over to Kaitlyn with no hesitation, allowing her to give Ella scratches and pets right away.”
What was the ‘stamp of approval’?
Now, what really cemented Kaitlyn and Ella’s destined connection? ARC shared on social media that Kaitlyn became emotional about a bandana around Ella’s neck. Later, she revealed that she recognized the bandana, and it held a special place in her heart.
“She looked up at staff, pulling up a picture of her dog, Jo, wearing a bandana, and said, ‘This bandana that Ella is wearing, it’s Jo’s. I donated them all here when he passed,'” the shelter noted in its post.
It is important to note among the roughly 20 dogs at the shelter, Ella was the sole one wearing Jo’s bandana that day. Speaking of this, Kaitlyn remarked to the shelter staff, “I like to think of it as Jo’s stamp of approval” for Ella. Following this heartfelt connection, Kaitlyn decided to adopt Ella without hesitation.
ARC is content with Ella’s adoption
While ARC will miss Ella at the shelter, they are certainly happy about her finally getting adopted. “We’ll miss that tomorrow, it’ll be such a bittersweet moment realizing that as we pause to reflect on a few of our favorite times with Ella- but my goodness the amount of pure happiness we will feel every day knowing Ella finally got what she deserved: ELLA GOT ADOPTED,” the shelter concluded.