The 'Saddest Dog In The World' Is Home At Last
It seems like forever ago since Lana, once proclaimed "the saddest dog in the world," has actually lived up to that nickname.
Lisa Burchell
In fact, since her story first appeared last October, she's been making a claim to another title:
The happiest dog in the world.
First, she found a foster home. And now, she has a permanent one.
"Almost four months later," Brenda Dobranski, founder of Rescue Dogs Match, told The Dodo, "we are very happy to announce that Lana has been adopted."
Since Lana's story was published, Rescue Dogs Match received 4,000 emails from around the world. Her image snatched headlines and support poured in, raising more than $15,000 in donations for her care.
It represents a remarkable turnaround for a dog who was photographed in November in a state of complete dejection. The above photo was taken shortly after Lana had been returned by the first family who adopted her.
Lana, who was rescued from the streets of Mexico when she was just 5 weeks old, had developed guarding issues - which surfaced over her food bowl - and she snapped at her first adopted mother.
Lana was brought back to the shelter, refusing to eat or go for walks. She could only press her body up against the wall.
But it took her lifelong friend, Dahlia Ayoub, a volunteer at the Ontario shelter, who had known Lana since she was a puppy, to bring Lana out of her shell.
"She just shut down," Ayoub told The Dodo. "It's almost like her world shut down."
Ayoub paid her a visit during the dog's darkest days.
"I wanted to see if she would be scared of me. I went back there and said, 'Laaaaana! Hey, what's up?'"
In an instant, Lana was in her arms, bathing her in a whirlwind of kisses so strong, Ayoub was knocked clean over.
And so began Lana's journey to joy.
"I know there's a family for her out there," Ayoub said at the time.
Indeed, Lana's spectacular turnaround brought her into the arms of a foster family.
"We are so proud of our munchkin for doing so well in the spotlight," Ayoub announced in a Facebook post. From now on, she added, Lana will be in a safe home environment and out of the kennel.
Indeed, Lana left her kennel and never looked back.
Last week, Rescue Dogs Match announced her adoption.
In an email to The Dodo, her mother had this to say about Lana's new life:
"I am amazed by her sweetness. She loves when I rub her ears or under her chin. She is extremely happy when we get up in the morning. She greets me as if she hasn't seen me in ages."
"When I get home at lunch and again at night she greets me, again, like she hasn't seen me in ages, crying and moaning, and goes on her back for me to rub her tummy."
Want to help dogs like Lana find their forever home? Consider making a donation to Rescue Dogs Match here.