Sweet dog who walked 20 miles twice to previous house finds new forever home

Most dogs are sweet but some are just too sweet for their own good. Recently, one pup in Oklahoma went above and beyond in showing her loyalty to a family that was forced to give her up.

Cathleen, a great Pyrenees mix, lived in central Oklahoma with an elderly couple for six years, according to AOL. When the couple had to move they apparently weren’t allowed to bring her along to their new home. Instead, they gave her to another family that lived in the area.

Cathleen’s new home was about 20 miles from her original home, but that didn’t stop her from escaping and walking every inch to try to get back to her old family—a journey she made on two different occasions! This smart girl made it to her former home safely both times, but her Houdini-level escape tactics worried her new family.

As a result, the new owners gave Cathleen up to the local animal rescue. The Seminole Humane Society shared the pup’s moving story on Facebook.

“Cathleen is precious and her original family loved her very much,” the Seminole Humane Society/Seminole Animal Shelter wrote in the Facebook post last month. “Her heart wants to be with them but they cannot keep her. We have now stepped in to assist Cathleen on her next journey.”

Her tale traveled even farther than Cathleen did in her adventures, with the post being shared and liked hundreds of times. As a result, adoption applications flooded in from across the country and even overseas. The Oklahoma shelter received requests from as far away as Portugal and Canada, according to NBC’s “Today” show.

Among the pile of applications, one stood out. Alicia Nichole Fields, who lived four hours away in Texas, poured her heart into her application for the pup who tugged on her heartstrings. She included references and a link to her personal Facebook page so the staff could get an accurate idea of what Cathleen’s life would be like in the Lone Star State. She also highlighted her fenced yard.

When she found out she was selected, Fields drove four hours each way to pick up Cathleen and bring her home. Since getting Cathleen home, Fields has set up a Facebook page dedicated to showing what her famous pup is up to. “Keeping Up With Cathleen” already has more than 700 followers.

So far, Cathleen seems to be adjusting well to her new forever home. She has three pup siblings to keep her company. Plus, one of her new owners works from home, so she will have around-the-clock supervision in case her old habits resurface. Most importantly, she hasn’t attempted any escapes.

Cathleen’s incredible story is an excellent reminder of the many animals in need of forever homes. For everyone else who applied to adopt Cathleen or were inspired by her story, there are plenty of online resources to find rescue animals near you.