A senior dog sporting a distinctive pink coat was found wandering an Arizona park with no human companion in sight.
Luna’s distinctive coloring suggested she was a dog well cared for and, when Maricopa County Animal Care & Control discovered she was microchipped, hopes of a happy reunion were high. However, there would be further twists to Luna’s story.
“She was found as a stray near White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell on March 20,” Kim Powell from Maricopa County Animal Care & Control told Newsweek.
But Luna wasn’t like your average stray, though. For starters, she was well groomed and sporting a distinctive pink coat. “Her pink hair looks to be professionally done,” Powell said. “This is something groomers will do with pet-safe dye.”
That meant there was some optimism that Luna’s owner was out there somewhere looking for her. There was another reason for being hopeful.
“She had a microchip,” Powell said. “We tried everything to contact her owners. We reached out via calls, text, and letters. Even a groomer who recognized Luna reached out to us to give us the potential owner’s contact info—but no luck.”
After the standard legal five-day hold, during which multiple attempts were made to get hold of Luna’s family, she was put up for adoption.
Whatever issue Luna’s previous owner may have had with her, it almost certainly wasn’t behavior-related.
“She is a very smart dog and clearly has been well-trained,” Powell said. “She demonstrated sit, shake, down, and even sat politely at doors before they were opened for her.”
Entering the shelter at age 10, following a life in what appears to have been a comfortable home, it would have been understandable if Luna had struggled. But that hasn’t been the case.
“Luna did well at the shelter, all things considered,” Powell said. “Staff loved her. She didn’t show any signs of kennel stress.”
And though her pink coat may have hinted at the once-happy life she had, it ultimately helped Luna move on to the next one. “It made her stand out,” Powell said.
Luna’s situation was helped further by the fact that staff at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control created a video showcasing her many impressive attributes as a senior dog ready to adopt. The clip went viral and had the desired effect. “Luna was adopted on March 27 to someone who saw her viral video online,” Powell said.
From the sounds of it, Luna’s pink coat is here to stay, too. “Her adopter even came in wearing bright pink shoes to match her.”
The ASPCA says that an estimated 3.1 million dogs enter shelters nationwide in the U.S. every year. It’s a bleak statistic, but there is room for optimism since around 710,000 dogs who arrive as strays are ultimately returned to their owners.
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