When I knelt down to tell him, something in his eyes changed. He lifted his head, ears perking up, and when I said, “You’re coming home with me, buddy,” he smiled.

Yes, smiled.

It wasn’t just a wag of the tail or a gleam in his eyes—it was pure, unfiltered joy. A moment of understanding between us. He knew. He finally knew.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture, capturing the exact moment he realized he was safe. That he was loved. That he would never be left behind again.

Animals do have feelings. They know pain. They know loneliness. But they also know love.

And today, he found it.

Forever.