The Thompsons weren’t planning to adopt a dog that day.
It was just a quick stop at the neighborhood adoption fair—a “let’s just look” kind of Sunday. But as 10-year-old Maya knelt beside a small black-and-white terrier mix with crooked ears and soulful eyes, it was over. The pup licked her cheek, and Maya giggled like she hadn’t in weeks. Her dad, Marcus, looked at his wife, Nia, and they both smiled. They hadn’t seen their daughter light up like that since they moved to their new home in Atlanta.
They filled out the paperwork that same day. The little dog, rescued from a high-intake shelter in Mississippi, had been overlooked for months. But in that moment, it was clear—she was already family.
They named her Daisy.
Daisy adjusted quickly to backyard zoomies, couch snuggles, and Maya’s bedtime stories. She learned how to fetch (sort of), how to sit (eventually), and how to sneak bits of breakfast when no one’s looking (very quickly). Every morning, she waits by the door with her leash in her mouth. Every night, she curls up next to Maya’s bed and lets out a soft sigh of contentment.
“She rescued us just as much as we rescued her,” Nia said one evening, snapping a family selfie on the lawn while Daisy tried to lick everyone’s face.
And just like that, the Thompsons were complete.