You may not believe in “love at first sight,” but when Jessica and Mehdi B. met their dog Anoush, they instantly felt a connection unlike any other. From that moment, they had a bond they knew they couldn’t shake—a bond that can only come from a loving pet.  

“We fell in love with him instantly and knew he was the one for us,” Jessica tells us. “He’s given us a whole new meaning of love.”

But everything that led up to this moment for Anoush wasn’t always picture perfect. When Anoush was first brought to the ASPCA in May 2017, the pit bull-mix had been rescued from an alleged dogfighting situation in the Bronx. Originally named Fruit Loop upon intake, it was clear that this sweet dog was eager to move on from his past. 

Luckily for Anoush, Jessica had been trying to convince her husband Mehdi to adopt a dog for quite some time. When she finally got him to agree to go to the ASPCA Adoption Center, their life was soon changed for the better.

“We were walking through the Adoption Center and he was actually the first dog we got to see,” Jessica says about first meeting Anoush. “And when we met him, he came in and immediately sat in both of our laps. He was curled up, giving us kisses and I started crying. I knew he was the perfect dog for us.”

After making the adoption official, Jessica and Mehdi thought about different names for their newest family member. They knew that they wanted to give him an Arabic name, and soon settled on Anoush, which translates to “spoiled.”

In his new home, Anoush certainly lives up to his namesake and is spoiled with plenty of love and affection from his mom and dad. But his adjustment period took some time, and fortunately, Jessica, a school teacher who at the time was out for summer vacation, had plenty of time and patience to give. 

“I just made sure I made a really routine schedule with him,” she says. “He started feeling more and more comfortable, and now it’s just his house.”

Jessica tells us that knowing about Anoush’s past helps she and Mehdi understand him more. She adds that in the beginning they could see some fearful behavior from the happy-go-lucky dog, but that they worked with him to help him adjust in his own time. 

“It’s just about making sure that you normalize the fear,” Jessica says. “For him, it’s just about making him feel really comfortable and protected all the time. That’s really important to him and it’s just made his life really normal. But also, I think he was such a happy dog from the beginning that it was easy for that side to come out once he felt comfortable.”

Now, life is beyond comfortable for the family of three. Jessica describes their love for Anoush as “unique and amazing,” and says that “he is a third member of the family, completely.”

“Coming home every single day and being excited to see his face, and see him smile—your heart just melts,” she says. “I just look forward every single day coming home to give him hugs and kisses and snuggling with him.”

Anoush has opened up and blossomed in his new life and began showing a silly side to his pet parents, which includes his signature smile, mid-walk check-ins where he stops to give you a hug, and morning cuddling sessions with both mom and dad. Though sometimes, he sneaks back into bed to be with dad when Jessica heads off to work!

When asked about what advice she’d have for someone considering adopting a shelter dog, Jessica had this to say: “Be consistent. Understand where the dog came from and make sure they have a solid foundation where they feel safe and supported.”

As we prepare to celebrate Adopt a Shelter Dog Month in October, we hope that you’ll keep Anoush’s story in mind and help more Fidos like him find loving homes through our #FindYourFido campaign. This special dog was a pup who needed a chance, who was looking for the right match, and thanks to Jessica and Mehdi, he was given so much more. Anoush’s future is brighter than ever thanks to the love of his devoted pet parents. You can make more happy endings like this possible during the month of October and year-round by taking action today!