Woman Adopts 3-Month-Old Puppy After Neighbors 'Left Her Outside'

A Dallas woman has shocked and saddened the internet after revealing the heartbreaking circumstances that led to her adopting her neighbor's dog when she was just three months old.

In a viral TikTok video, Aubrie Mitchell said that it's been two years since she "stole" her neighbor's puppy after they allegedly "left her outside [for] multiple days in a 12-degree snow storm."

The Texan said that she contacted animal control and reported the situation to them, but that didn't change anything, so Mitchell tried to confront her neighbors personally, but there was no answer. After four days passed, she'd "finally had enough" of seeing the pup left outside and she took the dog in herself.

"I unlocked the gate, and she ran out to me. They never once looked for her," she wrote on TikTok. Mitchell hasn't looked back since that day, and the dog, named Junie B, has been living her best life ever since, especially when she gets to enjoy a pup cup all to herself.

Newsweek reached out to Mitchell for comment about the rescue.

While the circumstances of Junie's rescue are unusual, there are millions of pets just like her who are searching for their forever home. Data from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters each year, 3.1 million of which are dogs. Fortunately, around 2 million of those pups get adopted, but there are many more waiting for their lucky day.

With the number of animals winding up in shelters across the country, the ASPCA highlights that around 920,000 pets are being euthanized each year. As Newsweek previously reported, shelters are struggling to cope with the influx of strays and surrendered animals who come in each day, because not only do they have limited capacity, but they are also confronted with the financial cost of it.

Since Mitchell shared the video of Junie's rescue on her TikTok account (@aubrieelizabethmitchell) on February 3, it has been viewed more than 434,800 times and amassed over 27,300 likes so far. Although plenty of social media users were devastated to hear about Junie's past, they are so delighted that she's found a happy new life with Mitchell instead.

With over 800 comments on the viral post, many people praised Mitchell for taking good care of the rescue pup, whose breed is unclear, and for sharing her story. One comment reads: "Some people deserve dogs while others don't."

Another TikTok user responded: "It's not stealing if it's saving! I will die on that hill."

A third person wrote: "Need more people like you in this world, I'm glad you took that approach poor baby needed saving."

Do you have any amazing rescue stories that you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.