Meet Jane — a 6-year-old border collie mix whose life has been challenging from the very beginning. Born as a stray in 2017, she was rescued alongside her mom and siblings by the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana (HSNWLA) just a few hours after her birth.

Jane received a ton of love and care from the HSNWLA team, as well as her doting mom, and started growing stronger each day. After a few months at the rescue, she was ready to be adopted.

“Jane was originally adopted as a puppy in May of 2017,” Sarrah Walton, a longtime volunteer at HSNWLA, told The Dodo. “Her family loved her very much.”

Jane’s new family welcomed the small puppy into their home, excited to spend forever with her. But, over time, they realized that Jane wasn’t as comfortable as they’d hoped she would be.

“Unfortunately, Jane just did not like the small dogs in the home,” Walton said. “They tried for years to work with her, but, ultimately, they did the right thing by bringing Jane back to us at the beginning of 2022 to find a more suited home.”

After many years of trying to get Jane acclimated to her new tiny siblings, her first adoptive family came to the heartbreaking conclusion that their home wasn’t the perfect fit for Jane. They knew the right family was out there, so they took Jane back to HSNWLA in hopes of helping her find them.

At first, Jane’s new life at the shelter was a huge change.

“Jane had to adjust to being back in the rescue,” Walton said. “It is a big change from having been in a comfy home.”

Jane’s friends at HSNWLA could tell that the loving pup was having a hard time, so they did everything they could to make her feel comfortable and loved again.

“We did our very best to make sure she was loved on,” Walton said. “She went for car rides, field trips to volunteers’ houses and sleepovers. But it just seemed like no one was interested in adopting her.”

While she waited for the right family to find her, Jane soaked up all the love she got from HSNWLA’s volunteers. She couldn’t get enough of their belly rubs or snout kisses, but what she really loved were the stuffed animals in their office.

Jane became obsessed with every plush toy she came across and soon started collecting them. Eventually, she refused to go anywhere without them.

“Jane loves her babies,” Walton said. “She loves to snuggle up with them. Her sloth is her favorite!”

Jane ended up spending an entire year at HSNWLA after being returned by her first family, but she wasn’t alone. With the care she received from volunteers and the comfort of her favorite plush toys by her side, Jane knew she was loved.

A year after she was initially returned, Jane was adopted by a loving couple named Sarah and Justin M. Her friends at HSNWLA sent Jane off with a loving, celebratory goodbye and made sure to pack two of her favorite things: her sloth toy and a sloth blanket made by a volunteer.

Jane wagged her tail all the way to her new home, with her prized sloth possessions right by her side. Even though it took a while for them to find each other, Jane fit right in. Her new parents could tell right away that Jane was always destined to be a part of their family.

“She’s a match made in heaven for us,” the couple told Walton. “We are so incredibly blessed to have found her.”