Man grieving pit bull sees similar dog on kill list, he knows what to do

Feeling “broken” by the loss of his soul dog, Finley Oliver didn’t think he would ever feel that close bond again. That was until he came across a canine who was about to be euthanized if nobody saved her, and everything changed.

In January, Oliver, 22, was devastated when he lost his soul dog, Sammie, after 11 wonderful years together. When she passed away from cancer, Oliver, of Manassas, Virginia, felt like a piece of him went with her, and he didn’t think he would ever feel that connected to another pet.

Weeks later, Oliver saw a social-media post in March about a dog named Mary who needed saving. Accompanied by a photo of Mary, it explained that she was due to be euthanized 24 hours later at a shelter in Maryland. Oliver felt compelled to help this sweet girl, telling Newsweek that he “felt a connection with her just through the photos.”

From left: Sammie sits in a bed; and Mary receives a pet in the shelter.

The next day, Oliver got in his car and drove to Maryland. It felt as if saving Mary would be what Sammie “wanted [him] to do.”

“I thought she looked just like Sammie, and her eyes were begging for help,” Oliver said. “I didn’t have any hesitations about adopting Mary. I knew she needed me and I needed her.”

As soon as Oliver met Mary in the shelter, it felt like “love at first sight.” The pit bull mix instantly got comfortable in his lap and gratefully received some belly rubs.

Oliver adopted Mary (who has been renamed Moo) just in time to spare her from euthanasia. Now, the dog is thriving in her forever home and has settled in wonderfully well.

“When I met her, I felt like my heart was finally whole again after losing Sammie. Moo is doing great and she reminds me a lot of Sammie. They snore and snort the same, and they look similar,” Oliver continued.

Upon rescuing Moo and giving her the second chance she deserves, Oliver shared this experience on TikTok (@sharkfinleyy). The post shows a photo of Sammie before she passed, and then shows the remarkable similarities with Moo. Indeed, the adorable images show Moo enjoying her freedom ride and making herself comfortable in her new home.

Internet users can’t get enough of the heartwarming story, leading to more than 273,000 views and over 53,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. Many social-media users praised Oliver for opening his heart one more time and saving Moo.

From left: Mary (renamed Moo) sits during the car ride home; and lies on a bed.

He told Newsweek: “Everyone has been really supportive online, and I love seeing the comments about Sammie and Moo. The Prince George animal shelter is at critical capacity, and dogs are being euthanized all the time. These dogs are usually young and healthy, so I want to encourage people to adopt, don’t shop.”

In the days since Moo’s adoption story went viral, it has amassed over 1,400 comments on TikTok already as people are so delighted that she is safe and happy.

One comment reads: “How beautiful to honor your lost dog, by saving another one…”

Another TikTok user wrote: “oh she’s a pretty little lady.”

A third person replied: “Thank you for saving that baby. You honored your soul dog in the best way possible. You saved another life.”

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