She came to see another shelter dog and then met Cupid. ‘It was love at first sight’

A visitor to the shelter was looking for another dog – then she met Cupid and immediately fell in love.

The woman adopted Cupid, ending the pup’s 198-day stay with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Northeast North Carolina.

“The staff cried happy tears about this,” the shelter wrote on Facebook on May 4. “We can’t thank this wonderful lady enough for giving us this home and the opportunity she deserves!”

Cupid was given a second chance months after arriving at the shelter. About 200 days before her emotional adoption, she was rescued from a case of animal neglect, the SPCA said, sharing photos of her recovery.

Although the shelter began caring for Cupid in late October, social media posts indicate she was not put up for adoption until around Christmas. That could explain why Cupid and the other rescued dogs – Blitzen, Comet, Dancer, Dasher, Donner, Prancer and Vixen – bear the names of characters from ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer’.

By April, Cupido and several other dogs from the group still had not been adopted, making them the shelter’s longest-tenured residents. They were described as ‘sweet’ dogs with a love of toys.

In the adoption post, the shelter said Cupid first arrived “weighing 24 pounds and leaves today weighing 42 pounds. She arrived with terrible skin, a dull coat, and no hair. Today she leaves radiant.”

Cupid began her next chapter after participating in “Cause for Paws,” a May 4 fundraiser for pets in need. She was not adopted at the event, leaving shelter staff ‘stunned’.

But Cupid’s luck took a turn for the worse later that day. The woman who came to the shelter decided that the dog she originally wanted to see was not a good fit for her. So the SPCA let her watch Cupid.

“It was love at first sight for both of them,” the animal organization wrote in its Facebook post, which has drawn more than 300 comments and more than a dozen congratulatory messages.

The SPCA did not immediately share additional details with McClatchy News on May 6. The shelter is located in Elizabeth City, about a 165-mile drive northeast of Raleigh.

Dog spent 175 days in the shelter. Then the NC family saw his photos – and rushed to his side

Mama dog waited ‘patiently’ while her puppies were adopted. Then her luck turned around