Princess Fiona was at the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) in Washington, DC, for 119 days until a family stopped to hear her story.
The HRA was on a mission: get Princess Fiona, a sweet pit bull with a chronic illness that gave her bald spots, adopted.
Princess Fiona was left at the shelter by previous owners who could no longer care for her after her condition developed.
The dog was a willing participant in all of the shelter’s adoption events. Despite her sweet demeanor, however, she was often overlooked.
According to an account of the dog’s life by The Washington Post, Fiona had developed a stressed-induced condition called Cushing's disease.
Symptoms include balding fur, consistent thirst, and a swollen belly.
Jewell Carter, an adoptions counselor at HRA, said in a video about the dog that Fiona “is a staff and volunteer favorite.”
“She’s very special,” she continued.
“At the adoption events, she does well near the other dogs [and] children.”
The video was posted to the shelter’s Facebook page on November 13, in the hopes that someone watching would give Fiona a chance at a forever home.
The moment came spontaneously, according to The Washington Post, and it happened when Fiona was lounging outside a PetSmart with shelter workers.
Monica Whitaker, a mom accompanied by her two children, passed by the dog on the way to look for a cat at PetSmart.
The shelter workers explained the dog’s condition to Whitaker, who, according to the outlet, started to tear up. The dog’s story reminded her of her 19-year-old son, who'd had a bicycle accident at age 6.
The accident resulted in a brain injury that left him with some intellectual disabilities and a speech impediment.
Whitaker believed that just because her son had medical needs didn’t mean he shouldn’t get to live the life he wanted.
She felt this way about Princess Fiona, too.
“You’re going to sleep in my bed,” Whitaker told Princess Fiona, per The Washington Post.
The next day, the family picked up Fiona and a month’s worth of medication from the shelter and took her home.
The family shared photos of Fiona splayed out in her new home on a blanket in front of a Christmas tree.
Whitaker has taken responsibility for taking the dog out every morning for her frequent pee needs. Whitaker also shared a photo of Princess Fiona and her daughter cuddled up together under a fuzzy blanket.
