Woman Finds Dog's Ashes at Thrift Store and Shares Why She Couldn't Not Buy

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A woman from South Carolina's Georgetown County has gone viral after deciding to provide a dog's urn, found at a charity store, with a more appropriate final resting place.

Kristen Owens, from Murrells Inlet, had spotted the dog's ash-filled urn while enjoying an afternoon thrift-shopping at a local Goodwill. After seeing the item with an image of the late female poodle left unwanted at a charity store, Owens felt moved to take matters into her own hands and provide the deceased poodle with a proper final resting place.

The professional dog groomer told Newsweek: "I saw the dog's urn and just couldn't believe that someone had left their dog's ashes at Goodwill." The TikTok post by @shampoochespetgrooming has received more than 1 million views and has been liked by over 124,000 users.

Dogs Ashes Found
Screenshots of Kristen Owens' rescue mission. She told Newsweek that she felt compelled to give the canine a final resting place. Kristen Owens

Owens explained that she quickly decided to purchase the urn and take it home with her. "I bought her home the very next day and I put her in my grooming salon for a proper final resting place," she added.

Owens wrote in the post's caption: "I love thrifting, but this find stopped me in my tracks! Who donates their dogs ashes! I initially left her behind but we got up early and went back to get her first thing in the morning."

Owens describes herself as being "dog-obsessed." The mother-of-two lives on a farm with her pets and family.

What Do the Comments Say?

More than 4,700 TikTok users have shared their surprise at the bizarre Goodwill find in the comments section below the post. Many wrote about their admiration at Owens for giving the late pup a final resting place.

"She was waiting for you! Thank you for honoring this sweet girl. You know someone loved her once upon a time," one TikTok user wrote to Owens. "Yes, she deserved better," the original poster responded.

"Maybe the owner passed, and a family member donated them," another user added, offering a justification for why the ashes had been carted off to Goodwill.

A third viewer posted: "This is why someday when I'm old, I'll find a beautiful place and release my animals ashes to the wind. I don't want this to ever happen to them."

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.

About the writer

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.

Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global's LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women's health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.

Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy's 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.

A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded 'Best Topical News Show' and the runner up award for 'Best New Radio Show' on the network.

She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Languages: English, Persian.

You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing m.afshar@newsweek.com.

You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.


Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and ... Read more