When it comes to singing the praises of his adopted dog Lily, a one-year-old black Labrador-mix, Marco B. can’t stop talking.  

“She’s so lovely—adopting her is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says the Manhattan-based dentist who moved to the New York from Milan, Italy, three years ago.

Marco and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, a professional violinist, had visited several animal shelters and had met roughly 50 dogs before spotting Lily at the ASPCA Adoption Center. Lily and her three siblings had just been transported from the Oktibbeha Humane Society in Starkville, Mississippi, and were clustered together in a kennel.

Lily came to the Adoption Center through the ASPCA’s six-year-old animal relocation program, which has moved more than 130,000 homeless animals from 16 states to shelters across 30 states, including Mississippi, Lily’s former home. 

“Marco and Elizabeth were very gentle and calm and allowed Lily to come to them without putting too much pressure on her to interact,” says ASPCA Behavior Specialist Felicia Belle. “In the end, Lily made the choice to come to them and say hi for treats.”

From Homeless to Homebound

Once home in her new Manhattan apartment, Lily remained shy, but after a few weeks began to come out of her shell and gain confidence. 

“When I come home, she comes to the door, then runs and jumps on the bed and asks for belly rubs,” Marco explains. “We call her ‘the shadow.’ Everywhere we go, she follows.”

“Lily is part of our family,” Marco says, beaming. “She’s just so happy. She changed our life.”