When Kate Howard said goodbye to her foster puppy Winnie last year, she never expected to see her again.
Howard, 37, the managing editor of the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, was taking the afternoon off to attend a memorial service for her late friend, Heidi.
On a typical day, she’d be in the office. But on Monday, the writer was sitting on her front porch.
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She spotted a brown dog taking a quick break in her yard. When her owner came over to get her to move, she wouldn’t budge.
That was when the owner referred to the dog as “Winnie” and something clicked: could this canine be the very same dog Howard had fostered in 2018?
“I realized it instantly when the owner called her Winnie and I knew her answers to my questions were going to prove it,” Howard told Global News. “I just immediately started trying to scramble off my porch and get down to her so I could pet her.”
Though at first Winnie scurried away when Howard went to pet her, it wasn’t long before they were catching up on lost time.
“I have no idea if she actually remembered me, but she might have,” Howard said. “After she sniffed me, she came over and rubbed on my legs and let me pet her.
“It was such a relief to see that she was well cared for and happy,” she continued. “I just felt overwhelming gratitude for the woman who adopted her and is obviously giving her a great life.”
Howard first recounted the serendipitous story in a heartwarming Twitter thread — pictures and all.
The Kentucky resident was so sad after saying goodbye to Winnie, her first foster dog, that she’d never fostered again.
Once her 16-year-old chihuahua-corgi mix dog, Foxy, recovers from a toe injury, she’s hoping to welcome another foster into her home.
“I was thinking about trying to foster again once I moved,” she said. “If and when Foxy’s toes heal up and she might be up for company, I’m definitely thinking about trying again.”
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