Coco the rescue dog had been looking for a family his entire life when a chance encounter at a home improvement store made his wish come true.
Ricky and Paula Jones
“When I first met Coco, the first thing I noticed was how bad he wanted to try to make me happy,” trainer and foster mom Natalie Tyson told The Dodo. “He’s the gold standard of a good boy.”
Tyson — who put Coco through a behavior modification program — said the hardware store was the perfect spot to work on the 2-and-a-half-year-old American Staffy-Weimaraner’s manners.
“Coco is a dog that attracts people, so we had had a few compliments before we bumped into Ricky [Jones],” Tyson said. “[Coco] had been working on being polite with strangers, but there was this moment when [Ricky] looked at the dog and Coco greeted him.”
Ricky and Paula Jones
Ricky Jones felt a connection with Coco right away.
“One evening, she brought Coco into my workplace doing off-leash training,” Ricky Jones told The Dodo. “As soon as I saw Coco, I knew he was the one for Paula and I.”
Tyson said it felt like the two had always been friends.
“It was beautiful,” Tyson said. “We did a meet and greet later that week with Ricky and his wife, Paula, and I felt in my heart there wasn’t a more perfect family for Coco.”
Watch their heartwarming first meeting here:
“The first time I saw Coco, he was still inside his crate,” Paula Jones told The Dodo. “I thought he was beautiful, but he looked so sad to me. Once Natalie let him out, it was like he came alive! [He] jumped right on me! He was giving Ricky and I kisses and was running around. He looked happy.”
Ricky and Paula Jones
The Joneses knew Coco had to become a part of their family, and they’re so grateful that a chance encounter led to a loving adoption.
“I often wonder why no one would keep this little boy,” Paula Jones said. “Because to us, he’s perfect. He makes us laugh and, most of all, he makes us happy. I truly believe he’s a happy little camper himself.”
