Twinkle was found in June, walking alone on the streets of Miami. She was rescued by True and Faithful Pet Rescue Mission, and right away, they could tell she had been through a lot. Twinkle was painfully thin, and her teeth were in terrible shape. But she was finally safe.
All Twinkle wanted was to feel close to someone. She wanted to snuggle and sleep beside her people — that was her way of showing love. Being rejected for that was something she just couldn’t understand.
“She had to stay at the vet’s office for a couple of weeks to recover after surgery,” said Lisa Letson, who runs the rescue. “But once she started eating properly — wow! She became the sweetest little girl.”
By September, she was adopted by a kind family, they seemed really great."
But just before Christmas, the rescue got an email that broke everyone’s heart.
Twinkle’s new family said they couldn’t keep her anymore. The reason? She cried at night because she wanted to sleep in bed with her new parents. The family had other senior Chihuahuas too — and none of them were allowed on the bed. So, they decided Twinkle wasn’t the right fit, and just like that, they brought her back.
“Twinkle was beyond heartbroken and confused,” said Madison Mulvihill, the rescue’s social media coordinator. “I walked into the dog room and saw her curled up in the corner, shaking with fear. Her eyes were full of sadness. She kept looking back at the gate where they dropped her off, like she was waiting for them to come back. But they didn’t.”
Everyone at the rescue felt so sad for Twinkle. They had loved her from the very first day and couldn’t understand how anyone could give up on such a sweet little dog.
“Twinkle is only three and a half pounds, but she has a huge personality,” Madison said. “She loves attention, and she’ll let you know when she wants cuddles. She’s so happy and does the cutest little hops when she walks through the grass. She’s leash trained, great with other dogs, and she’ll gently paw at you if she wants more scratches.”
The rescue team shared Twinkle’s story on TikTok, hoping someone would fall in love with this special little dog. And it worked! The internet went crazy for Twinkle. The rescue's email filled up with adoption requests from people all over who wanted to give her a home.
This time, they made sure to find the perfect match. Twinkle's new family has six other dogs and – here's the best part – a huge king-size bed with plenty of room for everyone, including one very special three-and-a-half-pound princess.
"This senior girl is going to spend the rest of her life knowing what real love feels like," Madison says with a smile.
After everything she's been through, Twinkle has finally found what she was looking for all along: a family who will love her exactly as she is, midnight cuddles and all.