Wandering alone through an Arizona park, a senior dog with a soft, pink coat and soulful eyes seemed oddly out of place. There was no collar, no human in sight—just Luna, quietly waiting for someone to notice.
And someone did.
Discovery of a microchip
On March 20, near White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, Arizona, Luna was picked up by Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. It was immediately clear that Luna wasn’t your average stray.
“She was found as a stray near White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell on March 20,” said Kim Powell, spokesperson for Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, in an interview with Newsweek.
Her striking pink fur turned heads and tugged hearts.
”Her pink hair looks to be professionally done,” Powell explained. ”This is something groomers will do with pet-safe dye.”
That colorful coat gave shelter staff hope. Luna wasn’t matted or neglected — she looked loved. And the discovery of a microchip only fueled that optimism.
“She had a microchip,” Powell said. “We tried everything to contact her owners. We reached out via calls, text, and letters. Even a groomer who recognized Luna reached out to us to give us the potential owner’s contact info — but no luck.”
Despite their best efforts, no one came. It was a tough blow for the volunteers at Maricopa — knowing Luna had an owner out there somewhere, yet no one answered the calls. The hardest part was not knowing if her family even realized she was alive.
After the legal five-day hold, and with no word from her family, Luna was officially listed for adoption. For a 10-year-old dog entering the shelter system, it could’ve been a heartbreaking turn. But Luna had other plans.
”She is a very smart dog and clearly has been well-trained,” Powell shared. “She demonstrated sit, shake, down, and even sat politely at doors before they were opened for her.”
Though her world had changed overnight, Luna adjusted with quiet grace.
“Luna did well at the shelter, all things considered,” Powell added. “Staff loved her. She didn’t show any signs of kennel stress.”
And that pink coat? It might have once symbolized her past life, but in the end, it helped shape her future.
“It made her stand out,” Powell said.
Determined to find her the perfect match, shelter staff put together a heartfelt video showcasing Luna’s intelligence, gentle demeanor, and unmistakable charm. The video went viral—and it worked.
“Luna was adopted on March 27 to someone who saw her viral video online,” Powell said.
The story comes full circle in a beautiful way: “Her adopter even came in wearing bright pink shoes to match her.”
According to the ASPCA, around 3.1 million dogs enter shelters across the U.S. each year.
Of those, about 710,000 are reunited with their owners. While Luna’s reunion wasn’t with her former family, she found something just as precious — a second chance and someone who saw her, loved her, and matched her in every sense of the word.
