Sisu the Lab mix has become one of the stars of the internet. The 1-year-old pup became internet famous after Duplin County Animal Services shared the story of how the pooch ended up with them.
"This is what happens when you break into the Dollar General consistently to steal the purple unicorn that you laid claim to but then get animal control called to lock you up for your B & E and larceny but the officer purchases your item for you and brings it in with you," the shelter joked.
Sisu was picked up in a Dollar General parking lot after employees noticed the dog running into and out of the store, fixated on the purple unicorn. Now Sisu's heading to his forever home, but not without stopping by to say thanks.
Sisu the stray dog won hearts with his obsession with a purple unicorn in Dollar General. Thankfully, after animal control was called on Sisu for dashing into and out of the store, animal control officer Samantha Lane purchased him the $10 stuffed animal. Now it's going with him on an adventure.
The officer then brought the pup to a Duplin County Animal Services shelter, where he's been hanging out since. Sisu's being moved to a rescue ranch, where he'll learn some skills before going to his forever home. But first, he had to go back to Dollar General.
"We took him back to the Dollar General so he could see the employees there," explains Joe Newburn, a supervisor at Duplin County Animal Services.
The workers at the Kenansville Dollar General, which was about 80 miles away, were excited to see the good boy return.
"He actually had to go through the whole store to get to that unicorn," said Joe.
"It was in the Easter section he went to that same unicorn and kept pulling it out, and finally, he had done it so much the store called us."
His trusty buddy stays by his side everywhere he goes.
"We've noticed as long as it stays by him, he's good, but we do notice when the unicorn gets dirty, he won't mess with it," Joe pointed out.
"We've had to wash it a bunch. If it's dirty, he puts it off to the side and just stares at it, but once you wash it, he'll lay on it."
At the training ranch, Sisu will work on getting along better with other dogs. Lab Rescue LRCP's Sterrie Weaver will work with Sisu.
"A lot of strays have to fend for themselves and have had to worry that other dogs will take their food or toys, and they usually calm down once they realize they're in a safe place," Sterrie noted.
The shelter has made a plan to keep track of Sisu through training and adoption. They realized how much the public has taken to the pup. They're getting calls from all over the world about him.
"Every time you put that unicorn with him when he's laying on it, he looks happy, he's at peace with that purple unicorn, and it's felt good," Joe said.
"It's been very uplifting to my staff. It's a tough job, but it's a rewarding job, and I see smiles on my staff's faces now."
