Pup left at Miami-Dade shelter gets new home after his story goes viral

It was the picture that sadly stared at hundreds of thousands of social media users.

It introduced the world to Bobby, a 1-year-old terrier mix, wearing a green sweater and looking purely miserable in a kennel.

His original owner had abandoned him, turning him into Miami-Dade Animal Services in December.

“I saw he was one of the ones that they needed to get out quick before it’s too late for him,” said Kristi Diaz, who went to the shelter Wednesday morning after seeing the post about Bobby on Facebook.

“He’s sweet. He’s really sweet,” she said while rubbing his face.

But before Kristi could even take him for a walk, Erica Blaisdell rushed in, hoping for a chance to become his new owner.

She also saw the tale of his plight on Facebook.

“He’s fabulous. He’s a love. He just wants somebody to love him,” Blaisdell said.

Just as she asked about the process to adopt, Rob Miller, who works for pet rescue group 1000 Abandoned Dogs of the Everglades, offered to take Bobby.

While Erica and Rob discussed his future, the woman who would become Bobby’s new owner was quietly filing the documents to adopt him.

“I was lucky. I came at the right time,” Paola Mariaca told CBS4.

Paola volunteers at the shelter and helps to put sweaters on the pups, like the Christmas sweater that made Bobby famous.

“He’s going to have a schnauzer sister and two English bulldogs as sisters. So he’s going to be the boy of the house,” said Paola.

Bobby has hundreds of friends at Miami-Dade Animal Services in need of forever homes. Shelter managers said the toughest dogs to adopt out, are older dogs and big dogs.

Paola hopes other dogs will be helped by Bobby’s story, and that social media users will continue to post pictures of those who need homes.

“I think every dog here should get that much attention, then we wouldn’t have them here (at the shelter),” Paola said.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 9:54 PM with the headline "Pup left at Miami-Dade shelter gets new home after his story goes viral."