When her dad passed away, Zuzu the dog went into mourning. She was depressed and escaped the backyard frequently, perhaps in a vain attempt to find him. On Thanksgiving day, she got loose, was picked up by animal control, and taken to the pound.
Fast forward a few days, and Zuzu was in the yard at the Downey Animal Care Center, doing some temperament test exercises with a volunteer, when a family walked up to the fence to watch. Zuzu lit up! The staff spoke to the group, hoping the strangers wanted to take Zuzu home, and were shocked to discover that indeed, they were Zuzu’s family. However, they weren’t there to take Zuzu back. They wanted to take a new dog home instead.
Needless to say, the family did not adopt a new dog that day, nor will they be welcomed back by the Downey staff.
Zuzu greets her family
The video of the reunion went viral, with the shocking story of abandonment breaking dog lovers’ hearts across the globe.
Zuzu leaves the shelter
Luckily for Zuzu, she has been picked up by a no-kill rescue group to be fostered until she can be matched with a forever family.