Ann Hoang had no idea how life-changing their first foster dog experience would be, especially for her husband. The Hoangs wanted to expand their family with another dog, but they already had their first dog, Charlie, to care for.
The family wasn’t sure they’d be able to handle the added responsibility of having another dog. They chose to attempt fostering instead of adopting.
The Hoangs reasoned that if they could foster a dog, they should be able to adopt a rescue dog. This is how Toby and the Hoangs met.
Toby is a South Korean rescue dog who was flown to a safe house in the United States.
“Band For Animal,” a non-profit organization dedicated to saving dogs from being euthanized or becoming victims of the meat-market trade, rescued him from the shelter.
Toby was promptly placed in the Hoangs’ care, which was fortunate. Toby was initially afraid and wary of his new surroundings. Toby became more at ease with time, thanks to his foster family’s love and support.
Toby sat next to Mr. Hoang on the first night, and the two quickly became friends. Toby began to exhibit his personality after that night, and Charlie even grew to like him.
The family became inextricably linked. Toby had everyone fall in love with him in under a week. Ann Hoang’s heart wrenched as she imagined how devastated they would all be if Toby was adopted.
“We had two families wanting to meet with Toby, and when that happened, I understood how devastated my husband would be without him,” Ann Hoang explained.
“My husband and Toby had only been together for a week, but they were inseparable.” My husband is a selfless individual who constantly puts others before himself. “He’s never really asked for anything or expressed a strong desire for anything,” Hoang continued.
Ann made the decision to contact the shelter with the idea of adopting Toby. Because adopting a dog necessitates a house inspection, she prepared a surprise for her husband with the staff.
The crew that came to undertake the home check on the Hoangs pretended to be Toby’s potential adopters. Following the home examination, the staff presented the Hoangs with a card indicating that Toby was now formally adopted by the family.
Mr. Hoang was handed the card by a staff member, and as soon as he opened it, he burst into tears, causing everyone else in the room to cry as well!
“I expected him to be delighted, but I never expected him to cry that much,” Ann Hoang said. “I have never seen him react this way to anything before!” He’s sensitive, but this was the most I’d ever seen from him.”
