In June, little Twinkle was discovered wandering the streets of Miami all by herself. She was painfully thin, her teeth were in terrible condition, and she was clearly in need of help. Thankfully, rescuers brought her in and gave her the care and kindness she had been missing.
“She spent a couple of weeks at the vet’s office after surgery and started to put on weight,” explained Lisa Letson, president and founder of the rescue, in an interview with The Dodo. “She began to thrive, and her personality blossomed. By early September, she was adopted by a wonderful family who seemed perfect for her.”
For several months, everything seemed fine — until just after Christmas, when the rescue received an unexpected email from Twinkle’s adoptive family. After four months, they felt they could no longer keep her.
Twinkle had been crying at night because she wanted to sleep in bed with her new parents. Since the family had several other older Chihuahuas who also weren’t allowed in bed, they decided she wasn’t the right fit for their household and made the difficult choice to return her.
Understandably, Twinkle was confused by the sudden change. “When I walked into the dog room, she was sitting quietly on a bed in the corner, looking small and uncertain,” said Madison Mulvihill, social media coordinator at True and Faithful Pet Rescue. “She looked back at the fence where her owners had handed her over, almost as if she was trying to understand what was happening. It was heartbreaking to see, but we knew we would surround her with love again.”
What Twinkle wanted most was to be close to her people, snuggled up at night. While that family couldn’t give her that, the rescue team never lost faith that someone else would. Everyone who had cared for her adored her — they knew she was a very special little soul.
“Twinkle may be tiny at just three and a half pounds, but her personality is huge,” Mulvihill added. “She’s playful, affectionate, and full of joy. She hops through the grass like the happiest little creature, loves to cuddle, and isn’t shy about pawing at your hand for more scratches. She’s leash-trained, great with other dogs, and truly a delight to be around.”
Once her story was shared on TikTok, Twinkle touched thousands of hearts. Adoption requests came pouring in, and it wasn’t long before the right family stepped forward.
“Her new family already has six dogs and a huge king-sized bed, so there’s plenty of space for her to sleep right next to them where she wants to be,” Mulvihill shared. “Now she’ll spend her golden years knowing exactly what it feels like to be loved and cherished.”
Twinkle’s journey proves that sometimes it takes a little time to find the perfect fit — and now she’s finally with a family who embraces her exactly as she is, ready to give her all the love she’s been waiting for.