In Pennsylvania, a couple recently welcomed a new member to their family, adopting the animal shelter’s longest-staying resident after instantly falling for him.
Milton, the dog, had never truly had a home of his own. “His journey involved moving between several shelters, so his background is a bit of a mystery,” shared Hannah Vance from Philadelphia with Newsweek. At about two and a half years old, Milton spent roughly eight months in his last shelter before finding his forever home.
For nearly a year, Milton waited at the Providence Animal Center, holding onto the hope that someone would see past his pit bull breed and give him a chance. Unfortunately, a study from 2014 revealed in Applied Animal Behaviour Science highlighted the grim chances for shelter dogs like Milton. It showed that shelter visitors typically interact with only one dog per visit, with each interaction lasting about eight minutes on average.
However, everything changed when Vance and her boyfriend, Alex, met Milton. They had been searching for a rescue dog to adopt. “I’ve always had dogs and missed having them around,” Vance explained. “After finishing college, Alex and I found we had some flexibility with our jobs, so we started visiting local shelters.”
Despite meeting many wonderful dogs, none felt like the right fit until they encountered Milton. “We discovered his shelter through a TikTok video and immediately fell in love with his profile. We rushed there right after work the next day,” Vance recounted. “Milton was incredibly sweet and seemed instantly at ease with us, leading us to adopt him the following morning.”
Vance documented their journey to adopt Milton, the shelter’s “longest resident,” in a TikTok video. The footage shows Milton excitedly greeting Vance and Alex, clearly remembering them from their previous visit.
The video transitions to Milton joyfully exploring the parking lot outside the shelter, then playing with his first toy at home, and finally, taking a well-deserved nap on the couch. Milton’s happiness and sense of belonging are evident; he is finally home.
As of this writing, the video has amassed 2.9 million views, with many viewers commending the couple for adopting Milton. Comments ranged from expressions of gratitude for saving him to remarks on how deserving dogs like Milton are of love and a good home.
Vance shared that Milton has settled in perfectly. “He’s been fantastic, adapting well to car rides, his crate, walking on a leash, and he’s house trained,” she said. “We feel incredibly lucky to have him. He loves roasted chicken and tug of war and is quite the cuddle bug, despite being a bit too large for a lap dog.”
Overwhelmed by the positive response to her video, Vance hopes it encourages others to give dogs a chance, regardless of their breed, and to consider adopting from local shelters.
For those with heartwarming or funny pet videos or pictures, Vance encourages sharing them with Newsweek for a chance to be featured in their Pet of the Week lineup, promoting the joy and love pets bring into our lives.