Annie was nearing the end of her study abroad trip to Turks and Caicos, when she found a tiny black puppy alone on the beach.
"She just ran out towards us like, Hey! Could you help me", the dog lover told The Dodo.
A trip to remember
The student hadn't planned to return home with more than a few seashells, but everything changed the moment she held the fluffy puppy in her arms.
She took her home with her, where she started making preparations for the trip back to Illinois.
"You could tell she was so much more comfortable once we took her in", recalled Annie.
Travelling home together
Midge, as she was later named, travelled brilliantly alongside her new best friend.
She slept peacefully throughout the plane journey and immediately settled into her new life, alongside Annie's parents and their existing dogs.
Now Midge has a four-legged sister called Millie, who she adores. The two spend their days wrestling, running and curling up together.
"I love knowing that she found her place in this weird, quirky jumble of a family that I have", explained Annie.
