Gemma the dog thriving one year after long-awaited adoption

It’s been just over a year since a Coquitlam dog that captured the hearts of animal lovers across Metro Vancouver was adopted, and according to an update from the city, Gemma is doing better than ever.

The municipality shared new images of Gemma on Thursday, capturing her living her new life with her forever family.

The City of Coquitlam is sharing images of Gemma the husky a year after she found her forever home. The dog waited to be adopted in a city shelter for a year. (Courtesy City of Coquitlam)

The husky-cross, who has arthritis, had waited a year to be adopted. She found her new family in early August of last year.

In May 2022, the city shared Gemma’s story with the hopes that someone would take her in.

According to the Coquitlam Animal Shelter, Gemma stayed in a couple of foster homes over the holidays but returned to the facility in January 2022.

CityNews helped put the word out about the dog, with her story shared hundreds of times.

A photo shared on May 25, 2022 of Gemma the husky. Gemma was in the care of Coquitlam’s Animal Shelter for 366 days before she was adopted. (Courtesy: Facebook/cityofcoquitlam)

At the time, shelter operators said Gemma had been in their care for much longer than most dogs. Her profile noted last year that she was initially adopted from the shelter as a puppy but returned there years later at the age of about 11.

“Thanks again to everyone who shared her story and helped this special girl find her happy ending!” the city said in its post on Thursday.

The City of Coquitlam is sharing images of Gemma the husky a year after she found her forever home. The dog waited to be adopted in a city shelter for a year. (Courtesy City of Coquitlam)

Anyone interested in adopting a pet can head to the Coquitlam website to find all the animals available.