Alexandria was browsing the Arizona Humane Society website when a photo of a black and white pit bull named Wyatt caught her eye. The 10-year-old immediately knew that this was the perfect dog for her family.
“As soon as she saw Wyatt, she started crying and knew that he was instantly the one,” Alexandria’s mom, Angela, said in a statement. “She said, ‘He’s the one that’s going to take good care of us, Mom! If you go get him, I promise to love him forever and take really good care of him.’” Angela told her daughter that they should wait a little longer before adopting a dog, but Alexandria continued to check Wyatt’s profile, making sure he was still available just in case her mom changed her mind.
Wyatt came to the Arizona Humane Society through Project Reachout. “We collaborate with other shelters — whether they are overrun and have too many pets in their shelter, they have pets who have medical needs and they aren’t able to provide their medical care, or a number of other reasons,” Kelsey Dickerson, spokesperson for the Arizona Humane Society, told us. “Through this program, we’re able to save more than a thousand dogs, cats, and even critters sometimes from other shelters.”
Wyatt came to the Arizona Humane Society in May, where he was treated for kennel cough. As soon as he was feeling better, he promptly won over the entire staff with his positive, loving attitude. “Anyone who knew him knew that he was wiggly and so sweet,” Dickerson said. “He was described as a big ol’ love bug.”
Unbeknownst to Alexandria, her mom made a secret appointment to meet Wyatt in person. “As soon as I met him, I knew he was the one for our family,” Angela said. She signed the adoption paperwork on the spot and drove Wyatt over to her daughter’s school. Mom surprises her little girl with a shelter dog and breaks down in tears.
When Alexandria walked out of class and saw Wyatt, she didn’t understand what was going on. It wasn’t until her mom showed her the adoption papers that it finally sunk in that Wyatt was now part of their family — and the tears started flowing. Since that day, Wyatt and Alexandria have been inseparable.
“We take him everywhere we go — to the grocery store, hiking, swimming, and many walks throughout the day,” Angela said. “This sweet, loving boy is fully housebroken and knows many tricks. He is so very eager to please and is such a great cuddler.” Angela couldn’t be happier that her daughter now has the perfect companion to snuggle all night and welcome her home from school each day.
