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‘Rhino Lightning’ searches for a new home after heartbreaking note from child goes viral

Posted at 9:21 PM, Feb 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-20 19:35:08-05

SALT LAKE CITY - All good things come to those who wait. That's a motto volunteers at the Humane Society of Utah are hoping come true this week after a 3-year-old dog was brought in last week.

"Today, we hope will be Rhino’s big day," said Carrie Glagin, who works at the Humane Society. "It looks like we have a family coming in to see him."

Rhino Lightning entered the national spotlight over the weekend after the family that gave him up turned in a hand-written note along with the dog. The family's daughter wrote a 15-page note in a tiny spiral notebook filled with all of the details and instructions that would be helpful for Rhino's new owner.

"He was my puppy. I really hope he is in a good environment. I really miss him. I wish he knew that he was a pretty puppy," she wrote in part.

"It's the first time that a child has done this," said Deann Shephard, with the Humane Society of Utah. "It was very heartbreaking to see from [her] perspective, [her] relationship and friendship with this dog, but we hope that she sees the story and knows that his best friend is going to find a new home."

The girl's family giving up the dog because it has several small children. The family admits the decision was heart-wrenching. They said they only had the 3-year-old dog for five months, having picked him up from the shelter themselves. However, the dog was too big and had too much energy for their family.

“He gets a little excitable, and a little nippy," Glagin said. "It may not be best for a household with kids under 8.”

Sunday, people all over the country were calling to see if Rhino was still available. A handful of people took him for a walk outside, but the perfect fit wasn't in the cards, just yet anyway.

"I’m surprised he’s not taken yet," Glagin said. "I’d say probably by mid week, he will probably be gone.”

For more on the Humane Society of Utah, the animals they have available for adoption, or the ways you can help their efforts on behalf of animals, click here.