Ann Hoang didn’t expect their first foster dog experience to be so life-changing, particularly for her husband. At the time, the Hoangs wanted to add another dog to their family, but they already had their first dog, Charlie, to take care of.
The family wasn’t sure if they could manage the responsibility of having another dog. Instead of adopting, they decided to try out fostering.
The Hoangs figured that if they could handle fostering a dog, then they could adopt a rescue dog. This is how the Hoangs met Toby.
Toby is a rescue dog from South Korea that was flown to a U.S. safe house. He was rescued from the shelter by “Band For Animal,” a non-profit organization that aims to save dogs from being euthanized or becoming a victim of the meat-market trade.
Fortunately, Toby was quickly placed in the Hoangs’ care. At first, Toby was terrified and cautious of his new surroundings. Little by little, and with lots of love from his foster family, Toby got comfortable.
On the first night, Toby sat down next to Mr. Hoang, and they instantly bonded with each other. After that night, Toby began to show his personality, and Charlie even started to love him.
The family became inseparable. In just a week, Toby made everyone fall in love with him. It broke Ann Hoang’s heart to think about how they all would be so sad if Toby got adopted.
“We had two families who wanted to schedule a meeting with Toby, and when that happened, I just realized how crushed my husband would be without him,” Ann Hoang told The Dodo.
“It had only been one week, but my husband and Toby were inseparable. My husband is such a giving person, always putting others before himself. He’s never really asked for anything or wanted anything badly,” Hoang continued.
Ann decided to contact the shelter with the intentions to officially adopt Toby. Since adopting a dog requires a home inspection, she planned with the staff to surprise her husband.
The team who visited the Hoangs to do the home check pretended to be Toby’s potential adopters. After the home evaluation, the staff provided the Hoangs with a card that indicated that they were letting the family officially adopt Toby.
A staff member handed the card to Mr. Hoang, and as soon as he opened it, he cried so hard that everyone in the room cried, too!
“I thought he would be happy but never in a million years did I think he would cry so much,” Ann Hoang said, “I have never seen him react this way to anything before! He is sensitive, but this was more than I’ve ever seen.”
Ann Hoang and her husband decided to become foster parents because they wanted to find out if they could handle another dog. And so, they met Toby.
Toby was rescued from South Korea and flown to the U.S. Fortunately, he was immediately placed into a foster home with the Hoangs.
At first, Toby was extremely timid and a bit scared, but little by little, he got used to his surroundings. On his first night, he sat beside Mr. Hoang, and they immediately had a connection.
A week later, Toby was so comfortable with the family that you wouldn’t be able to tell that he was a foster dog. Here he is cuddling with Charlie:
All of them came to love Toby, especially Mr. Hoang. Eventually, Ann Hoang realized that they would be heartbroken if Toby were to leave their family. She decided to contact the rescue shelter and officially adopt Toby.
With the shelter’s staff, Ann Hoang came up with a plan to surprise her husband. He was shocked and cried out of happiness.
The staff that made the home inspection handed him a card telling him the good news, and he couldn’t believe it at first.
Ann made a plan with the rescue staff who pretended to be Toby’s potential adopter. Ann’s husband was so happy that he hugged Toby while he was in tears.
Even Ann and the rescue staff became emotional, too.
“Oh my goodness, I thought he would be happy but never in a million years did I think he would cry so much,” Ann told The Dodo.
“I have never seen him react this way to anything before! He is sensitive, but this was more than I’ve ever seen,” she added.
