This Foster Dog's Reunion With Its Caretaker Will Have You Sobbing

There are times when I come across a truly unique and heartwarming story, and I just can't keep it to myself. If you're in the mood for a tearjerker (they will be tears of joy, I promise), you'll want to hear about a story that started trending on Twitter on Monday, Oct. 14. It involves a lovely foster dog, a generous caretaker, and a series of coincidences. Honestly, the story of this foster dog's reunion with its caretaker has an ending that'll have you smiling through your happy tears.

Kate Howard (@JournoKateH on Twitter), who is the managing editor at the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, shared the heartwarming story on her Twitter page Monday night. By Tuesday morning, it was featured in the Animals section of Twitter news. As of publication, Howard's original tweet has over 21,000 likes and 4,000 retweets.

OK, do you have your tissues ready? Howard's story begins with her sitting on her porch, after attending a memorial service of a friend who had passed away "far too soon." While sitting on her sunlit porch, a woman and her curious dog stopped at her yard. Per her description in the tweet, the pup was "cute, a brown pitty girl with white markings," and her owner called her Winnie.

Interestingly enough, Howard herself had fostered a dog named Winnie over the Thanksgiving holiday in November 2018. Are your Spidey senses tingling yet?

Leading up to her week of fostering Winnie last November, Howard tells Elite Daily, "[I] saw her face on the foster group on Facebook ... and I drove right over! I happened to be off work and didn’t have any Thanksgiving plans, and thought this was the only time I'd have enough time to care for a puppy." After their week together, the pup was put up for adoption. According to Howard's tweet, at the time, she "cried for three days after she was spayed and went up for adoption, worrying about whether she had found a good home."

Nearly a year later, Howard couldn't help but wonder if this curious dog was the same little pup, so she asked the owner whether or not she adopted Winnie with that name, and Winnie's new owner said she did. She also told her that she adopted this dog last November. It turns out, this was the exact same Winnie she had fostered. You guys, can you even handle?

After Howard confirmed the pup comforting her after the loss of her friend was, in fact, the same Winnie she fostered nearly a year prior, Winnie's new owner revealed the circumstances surrounding the dog's adoption last November. She told Howard, at the time of Winnie's adoption, she had recently lost a dog and lined up early to adopt the pooch after seeing her adorable face on the Louisville Metro Animal Services site.

It was truly the right time and right place for the reunion: Howard had only moved into the neighborhood a couple months prior, now living just a block over from Winnie and her owner. Also, if it hadn't been for Howard's attendance at her friend's memorial service (who was also a dog-lover), she wouldn't have even been at home on a workday to spot her beloved foster pup.

The whole story is a series of coincidental events that all began when Howard spread her good will and decided to foster a dog last November. After seeing Winnie, it's no surprise both Howard and Winnie's new owner drove right to the shelter after seeing her pic on the site. Even though Howard had a short time with Winnie, the pooch sure made an impression, especially since they "were together 24/7 until I brought her back for surgery and adoption," as Howard tells Elite Daily.

Though Howard may miss Winnie, she and her current dog, Foxy, now have the opportunity see her more often since they're neighbors. Foxy was rescued by Howard 13 years ago, and her playdates with Winnie are downright adorable, as evidenced by a video of the two pups from when Howard was fostering Winnie (though it looks like Foxy is still warming up to Winnie). With such an unexpected but perfectly-timed reunion for Howard and Winnie, I hope there are many more playdates for Winnie and Howard's longtime pup in the future. You've gotta love it when a chance encounter leads to all the happy tears.