Margaret Elaine Foster was 76 and had a problem she could not solve alone.
Her health no longer allowed her to live independently, and the nursing home she chose in Lexington, Kentucky, did not accept pets. For two weeks, she searched for someone who could take in Teddy, the dog she had raised since he was ten weeks old. Nobody could commit. One Wednesday morning, without letting her daughter accompany her, she took Teddy to a shelter with his bed, his bowl, and a handwritten note explaining her fears, his likes, and that he needed a blanket even in summer. As she signed the surrender papers, the dog wrapped his paws around her ankle. Margaret sat on the floor despite her physical difficulties, hugged him for several minutes, and whispered something in his ear before leaving. Hours later, according to her daughter, she could not stop crying and kept repeating that she was sorry, as if she had to ask for forgiveness. The story went viral, and dozens of people offered to adopt Teddy on the condition that Margaret could continue visiting him.