Dog Can't Stop Smiling in the Car Home as He's Adopted After 400 Days

A four-year-old Great Dane who was still searching for his perfect home after over 400 days in a shelter has finally had his happy ending.

Last month, Newsweek shared the story of Moose, a dog who has been at the Benton Franklin Humane Society in Kennewick, Washington state, since July 2022.

Heartbreaking footage compared the 97-pound dog on day one at the shelter with his face after over 400 days of shelter life, and volunteer dog walker Julie Saraceno told Newsweek: "He's really ready to get a break from shelter life with a new family."

Tawan Sornsap, from Seattle, saw Moose's photo and was prompted to act. She told Newsweek: "Moose's Newsweek story was suggested to me from my browser. As soon as I read his story, saw his pictures and reels, I knew we needed to bring him home and into our Ohana," before adding, "Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."

She immediately emailed the humane society to inquire about Moose, and before long she had a reply and was invited to go and meet him.

"I held back tears when I met him and my partner cried because both our hearts broke for this gentle giant," Sornsap said. "When Moose walked into the room, he was overly excited but when he approached us, he quickly calmed and just let us pet him, say hi and talk to him.

"When we left home, we had all the intentions of adopting him. After we met him, it was official, he was ours, no questions."

Moose now lives with two canine "sisters" and is quickly settling into home life. And as the pictures taken by Sornsap show, he can't stop smiling.

"Moose is settling in great," said Sornsap. "He's been adjusting pretty quickly, it's been heart warming and wonderful to see. His first moments home, he pulled his Dad's burrito off the kitchen counter, but got caught before he could eat it!"

The three dogs now in the house have adjusted quickly and soon started embracing playtime.

"His youngest sister, who's all of 7 pounds has been trying to play with him, it's the funniest thing to see! He and his middle sister coexist and they are both content with it," said his owner. "It's just been amazing to see him bloom, get comfortable and be happy."

Moose isn't the first rescue dog to find a forever home thanks to a Newsweek reader. In July, 16-year-old Chihuahua Chloe Sue found her perfect home after new owners Michael and Pam Haywood saw her story.

"Moose has been getting all the treats, pup cups and has been to the dog park a couple times already," said Sornsap. "He did splendidly at the dog park and with all the other dogs, he was so chill and even made a couple doggo friends. We are so in love with Moose—he will furEVER be a Momma's boy. However, his Daddy is his favorite parent and best friend forever."

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.