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Alicia S. and Thomas K. adopted Zoey, a heartworm-positive dog who had spent nearly 10 months at Darlington County Humane Society, in May 2026. After fostering Buffy, a dog with seizures, they adopted her in July; both dogs now live with the couple in Montana.
Alicia S. and Thomas K. adopted Zoey, a dog who had spent nearly 10 months at Darlington County Humane Society in South Carolina after arriving with heartworm disease, then adopted Buffy, whom they had been fostering, in July 2026. The couple’s decisions gave two dogs with medical challenges homes together, according to the ASPCA’s account of The Rescue Effect campaign.
Zoey, a gray-and-white pit bull, arrived at the Darlington County Humane Society in Hartsville in August 2025 after being abandoned by her previous owner. The shelter said she was diagnosed with heartworm disease. Although staff described her as affectionate and comfortable around other dogs, many prospective adopters passed her by, the ASPCA reported.
The shelter joined The Rescue Effect, the ASPCA’s national campaign to help animals find homes, in August 2025. Alicia and Thomas met Zoey in May 2026 and chose to adopt her. She received veterinary treatment after the adoption and is now heartworm-free, according to the ASPCA report.
At the time they met Zoey, the couple was fostering Buffy, a dog from the same organization who had seizures. As Alicia and Thomas prepared to move across the country, they decided they did not want to end the foster placement. They adopted Buffy in July. The couple and both dogs have since moved to Montana, where the dogs have two acres to run and explore.
One Adoption Led to Another
The account shows how one adoption and one foster placement brought two shelter dogs into the same home. Alicia and Thomas first chose Zoey despite her heartworm diagnosis; their experience fostering Buffy then helped them decide to adopt her as well, according to the shelter’s executive director.
For shelters, foster homes can provide stability to animals while their longer-term prospects are uncertain. In this case, the couple’s existing relationship with Buffy helped make a second adoption possible. The story does not establish a broader measure of The Rescue Effect’s results, but it describes one concrete outcome: two dogs who had faced uncertain futures now live with the same family.
From Hartsville to Montana
Both dogs came through Darlington County Humane Society, in Hartsville, South Carolina. Zoey arrived in August 2025; Buffy was in foster care with Alicia and Thomas when they met Zoey the following May. The couple adopted Buffy in July as they prepared to leave South Carolina for Montana.
The ASPCA describes The Rescue Effect as a national campaign dedicated to helping animals find homes. The source report does not provide campaign-wide figures, funding details or a comparison with other adoption programs. Its focus is the path of one family and two dogs.
““When Alicia and Thomas met Zoey, they saw a dog who deserved a chance.””
— Autumn Fowler, executive director of Darlington County Humane Society
Campaign Results Are Not Detailed
The ASPCA report does not say how many animals The Rescue Effect has helped overall, or whether the campaign directly led Alicia and Thomas to adopt either dog. It also does not provide details of the dogs’ treatment plans, adoption costs or the timing of Buffy’s seizures. The account says Zoey is heartworm-free and that Buffy thrived in foster care, but offers no further medical records or independent verification.
Both Dogs Begin Life in Montana
The reported next chapter is the family’s move to Montana, where Zoey and Buffy have space to run and explore. The ASPCA’s account does not announce a further public milestone for the couple or the dogs. It directs people interested in helping shelter animals to learn how to join The Rescue Effect.
Key Questions
Who adopted Zoey and Buffy?
Alicia S. and Thomas K. adopted both dogs through Darlington County Humane Society in South Carolina.
When were the dogs adopted?
The couple adopted Zoey in May 2026 and Buffy in July 2026, according to the ASPCA report.
Why had Zoey struggled to find a home?
Zoey had heartworm disease, and the ASPCA report says many prospective adopters were intimidated by her diagnosis. She had been at the shelter for nearly 10 months when Alicia and Thomas met her.
What health challenges did Buffy face?
Buffy suffered from seizures while in foster care. The source says she thrived with Alicia and Thomas but does not provide further medical details.
Where do the dogs live now?
Zoey and Buffy live with Alicia and Thomas in Montana, where the couple has two acres for the dogs to run and explore.
Source: rss
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