A dog owner from Texas has melted hearts across the internet after sharing the story of her two rescue puppies, which went viral on social media earlier this month.
In a video shared on TikTok in July, under the username @Theogpups, the small pups, Sage and Aspen, can be seen pictured in different stages of their life, starting from when they were first rescued, up until now, enjoying their life as spoiled dogs with a loving family.
The heartwarming clip comes with a caption that explains their rescue story, from finding the first puppy to reuniting the two sisters and giving them their happily ever after.
"You found her, but things weren't looking so good. The vets weren't sure if she was going to make it. But she pulled through and you reunited us! Thank you for bringing my sister home! I missed her so much," the caption explained, followed by: "I may have cried making this. Happy 8 months to my babies."
Sage and Aspen's owner told Newsweek that she found them in the trash when they were puppies, and decided she couldn't leave them there.
"I found Sage and Aspen behind a dumpster at my apartment complex," she said. "It was around 10:30-11 p.m. at night and I was taking out my trash. I usually never take it out that late. I heard noises when I reached the dumpster but didn't think much of it until I looked down and turned my flashlight on and saw a puppy on the side of the dumpster. I picked her up and ran back home to get her warm since it was one of the coldest nights in Texas and I had no idea how long she was out there for. After about 25 mins, I decided to go back out and see if there was any more puppies because I only heard and saw the one.
"I took my dog Future with me since it was late. As we got to the dumpster, he started pulling me and slid under a bush. So I decided to look under the bush that was behind the dumpster and there the other puppy was but this one was barely breathing and not making any sounds. So we ran back home, I grabbed the other puppy and took them to the closest emergency vet that was open.
"Sage was good to come home after spending the night and some of the next day there. Aspen had to stay a little longer, they didn't think she was going to make it. She ended up coming home about 3 days after. I could tell they missed each other."
About 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters nationwide every year, including 3.1 million dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Each year, about 2 million of these dogs are adopted, 810,000 are safely returned to their owners, and around 390,000 are euthanized. According to the ASPCA, the increasing number of dog adoptions from shelters nationwide is reducing the number of dogs euthanized every year because of a lack of space.
What's more is that before taking it upon herself to help the two abandoned puppies, the poster had never cared for newborn puppies before, but it didn't stop her. She is also a college student which means she's quite busy and underfunded, so she has set up a GoFundMe campaign to be able to keep the two sisters together.
"I'm trying everything so that my pups and I can stay together and stay in our current home. But I need some help," she told Newsweek.
Describing the challenges of raising the two rescues, she continued: "It was stressful and very tiring but all worth it! They are now 8 months old and amazing! They are totally opposite but are similar in many ways. Sage is the sassy, spunky puppy who's outgoing and loves being the center of attention. And Aspen is the sweet, nice puppy who is super shy and a homebody, but she does have a sassy side to her as well.
"They love their older brothers (Kodak and Future). They love going on hikes, eating treats, and constantly talking back. They are some very active puppies! They also are very vocal and I like to think it's because I talked to them a lot as puppies.
"I truly believe I was meant to find these babies. My vet estimated their birthday to be on November 11th and they both have white marks on their chest that resemble angel wings. They are a joy to have around and I'm so glad I made the decision to keep them both!"
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 820,000 views and 92,400 likes on the platform.
One user, mariacobern, commented: "Best dog mom paws up." And Sky said: "Awwww, thank you for saving these cuties." Sarah added: "You are the best dog mom! You mean the world to those puppies!!"
Marji wrote: "Caring for newborn pups is one of the most hardest/stressful thing to do but so worth it in the end, congratulations to you & your precious babies."
Another user, Ginger Princess, commented: "Thank you for looking after these beautiful cute puppies my Heart melted after seeing how far they have come from somebody who's kind and caring." And Erica added: "Precious! And YOU are such a beautiful soul! Thank you for rescuing these babies and giving them the best life full of love."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Update 7/25/23, 4:43 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the original poster.
