Adoption Magic: Princess Leia’s 2,000-Mile Journey Home

When I sat watching Roxy give birth back on May 4^th, I could never have imagined the journey her second born pup would take to adoption. It has been one heck of a ride for Princess Leia.

All eight of her siblings in the May the Fourth Be With You litter were adopted, some quicker than others, but for the last month and a half, she’s been the only one left.

I honestly thought that Leia would be one of the first to go home. She is a beautiful pup with blue eyes, a happy attitude, and a serious snuggleability. In fact, she was one of the first pups spoken for.

But two weeks later, that adopter chose another pup instead. She went back to adoptable, and at the very next adoption event, a woman fell in love with her, certain she was meant to be her pup. She was so convincing that I agreed to hold Leia for three more weeks, until she finished her travels and could take her home. On the night before the long-scheduled adoption, she changed her mind.

By the middle of July, it was only Leia and one other pup still looking for adopters. More potential adopters appeared, once again we went through the process. Too many red flags in the adoption application meant that once more, she was not adopted.

And then she was the last puppy left. I posted pictures, videos, dragged her everywhere I went. And no interest.

Except one person.

Linda.

Linda is my oldest friend, and by oldest I mean the one I’ve known the longest. She’s been in my life since I was 2 years old. Our mothers were best friends, and we grew up across the street from each other. But for the last 30 years, Linda has lived in Idaho.

Idaho is a long way from Virginia. Sadly, I know this much too well. So when Linda told me she wanted to adopt Leia, fairly early on in this saga. I said, ‘No. That’s crazy. There are plenty of dogs in Idaho.”

Linda had met the puppies when she visited me at the end of May. She’d cuddled Leia and joked she was going to take her home in her suitcase. We laughed at the idea.

After each adoption fell through, Linda would tell me again, “I wish I could adopt her.”

I did too, but it seemed impossible. And it was.

Until it wasn’t.

Finally, after four months of no adopters for this most perfect puppy, maybe it was time to trust the Adoption Magic. It made zero sense that she continued to have no local adoption applications.

I’m not exaggerating when I say she was perfect – if there was such a puppy, it was Leia. She basically housetrained herself, even ringing the ‘potty bells’ to go outside. I took her everywhere with me. She was a perfect passenger, loved everyone she met, sat calmly when I stopped to talk to people, or when I brought her along to a winery or restaurant. She walked on a leash better than my grown-up dogs. She slept through the night in her crate and never had an accident. Really. Perfect. Not making that up.

And yet, no one applied to adopt her.

I’ve learned over 12 years and hundreds of dogs that adoption magic is real. Sometimes dogs are meant to be someone’s, even when it makes no sense. Even when the obstacles seem impossible.

Noa, from Team Memphis, and I begin trying to figure out how we could safely get Leia to Linda. We looked into planes, but the cost, the risk, the logistics were insurmountable. Then we tried to sort out a transport and the best we could come up with was for Leia to catch a returning transport from the northeast to Memphis, hang out in a foster home in Memphis for a week, and catch another transport from Memphis to Kansas. Noa would drive from her home in Colorado and pick her up in Kansas and then figure out where to meet Linda for the final handoff.

It seemed like a lot for a puppy, even one as perfect and chill as Leia.

But then more adoption magic! Dave offered to drive her to Wyoming. Dave and his wife Gina fostered Roxy (Leia’s mama). Dave is retired; he likes to drive, he likes dogs, and he was up for this road trip.

So last Saturday, I met him in Hagerstown, Maryland, with Leia. It was still dark when I pulled up in the McDonald’s parking lot at 5:30am and we loaded her up. He’d set up a big comfy bed right behind him on the folded down seats of his SUV and tethered her there.

The first report was that she slept from Hagerstown to the Ohio border, then woke up and nudged Dave’s shoulder to let him know she needed a potty break. They made it all the way to Iowa on that first day and stayed in a beautiful retreat center on a river.

She continued to be the great little traveler I knew, and they flew across Iowa and Nebraska the next day. Dave gave us reports and pictures as he drove. Linda said it was like watching Santa’s route on Christmas Eve.

On Monday, I talked with Linda as she drove to meet him in Casper, Wyoming, until we lost signal in the mountains. Then I waited anxiously for a text. Around 12:45, it finally came through. Linda had her puppy!

I can’t say enough how grateful we are to Dave (and Gina) for making this adoption possible. The heroics of rescuers always humble me: people sacrificing time, money, energy, and hearts so that dogs find the homes they deserve.  

This is the third WAY out-of-state adoption this summer. Toothless and Blarney both went to Wisconsin, and I thought that was a long way, but now Idaho is the record for me. Best part? I’ll get to watch Leia grow up. Linda’s kids are already like godchildren to me, so now I have a godpup too.

I asked Linda what they were going to call her. (I expect my adopters to give their dogs new names.) She and Jack talked about it and decided to drop the Princess part and keep the name Leia. That sounds about right. She isn’t a princess anyway, she’s a queen.

For those who are counting, that just leaves Amelia Bedelia here with me. I’d be grateful if you could copy one of the images below and share it far and wide. We need to get this girl home.

If you or someone you know is looking to add a furry family member, please share the dogs and puppies in my foster cottage. I need help spreading the word! You can always find information about the dogs on this blog site (under the tab ‘foster dogs currently available for adoption’) and also on the Facebook page, Adoptable Dogs in Shenandoah County.

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

For information on my writing, other blogs and books, visit CaraWrites.com.

If you’d like regular updates on all our foster dogs, past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog. And if you’re on TikTok, you can find regular videos of my current fosters, dog news/tips, and more if you follow me there.

If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist. We are currently in need of dog vitamins and probiotics, PAPER TOWELS, small training treats, and always, bully sticks and/or benebones.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or it’s a follow-up that takes you to the shelters in the south, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.

I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog, where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds, plus ideas, solutions, and resources to help shelters save lives.

If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visit BringDogs.com to learn more.