Who could possibly resist an animal in need? Certainly not Breana Wentz, who has melted hearts with the story of how she took in a stray dog for a night, only to keep her forever.
Wentz, of Texas, posted a slideshow of pictures on TikTok (@breanawentz) explaining how she found the stray pit bull, who has since been named Lady Bug, on her doorstep in October last year. Since sharing her story online in August, it has gone viral with over 1.4 million views and more than 237,600 likes on TikTok.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Wentz to keep Lady Bug, but in the last 11 months, her health has improved dramatically. She’s been spayed, and Wentz told Newsweek that she’s “doing great.”
When the dog turned up on her doorstep, the weather was beginning to turn colder, and Wentz hated the thought of this poor pup going through the winter alone. However, she already owned two cats, so keeping her didn’t seem to be an option.
Lady Bug the stray pit bull when she was found in October 2023. Lady Bug showed up on Breana Wentz’ porch last year, looking like she’d been outside for a while.
@breanawentz / TikTok
After looking her over and seeing how scared and exhausted she looked, Wentz let Lady Bug stay with her for “one night” until she figured out a solution. At the time, the dog only weighed 45 pounds, and it seemed she’d been “outside for a while.”
She spread the word about poor Lady Bug and hoped someone would come forward to adopt her, but as time passed, there were no inquiries. During that time, the sweet pup started to make herself feel at home, and Wentz even started to buy her toys and took her to get pup cups from Starbucks.
Slowly but surely, they were bonding, and Lady Bug managed to befriend the cats, too. By December 2023, they still had no luck finding an adopter, and Lady Bug ended up spending Christmas with Wentz and her family.
Ultimately, 2024 became the year Lady Bug secured her forever home. Wentz couldn’t possibly get rid of her, so she decided to keep the former stray.
Lady Bug after she was taken in by Breana Wentz in October 2023. Lady Bug quickly made herself at home, even though Wentz originally planned on finding someone to adopt her.
@breanawentz / TikTok
The pictures on TikTok show her remarkable transformation since her rescue, from the cuts and marks she had initially to being full of happiness and constantly smiling.
There’s no doubt that Lady Bug is living her best life, with her own clothes, bed, feline friends, and, of course, a garden where she can do zoomies. Her weight has also increased to a much healthier 62 pounds, gaining 17 pounds since she was found.
Wentz has continued to delight internet users by sharing more updates of Lady Bug on TikTok, including an adorable video of her dreaming (and snoring).
When she first took Lady Bug into her home last October, Wentz probably never imagined she’d still be there almost a year later. But the sweet dog has become an integral member of the family now.
Lady Bug with her cat best friend. She has settled in perfectly with her loving family.
@breanawentz / TikTok
The slideshow of Lady Bug’s transformation from stray to pampered pup has left the internet in tears and led to more than 4,800 comments on TikTok.
One comment reads: “You can see the light come back in her eyes.”
Another TikToker wrote: “Not to be dramatic but I’m sobbing uncontrollably.”
“Dogs find good people. So glad you kept her safe,” a commenter said.
One TikTok user responded: “It is amazing to see the emotional and physical transformation of a dog when they find love. Amazing story!”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
